


The Lost Soul

by sapphirerose1990



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: 1 Year after Rising From the Ashes story, 11 Years after Barrier Broke, Adult Frisk/Sans - Freeform, Can be read seperate without prequel., Coming to Terms with the Past, Epic Quest with Frisk Sans and Papyrus, F/M, Female Frisk, Magic-User Frisk, Monsters being Kidnapped, Post Apocalyptic Surface
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-09-24 18:58:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9780650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirerose1990/pseuds/sapphirerose1990
Summary: Lost souls were not supposed to exist. They were myths, scary stories to tell Monster children when they heard strange noises in the Underground. They were violent, unnatural things that had destructive magic. They were spirits, neither living nor dead and neither Monster nor Human. Now bad things are happening, Monsters are disappearing and Frisk must save the day again.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Toby Fox's Undertale, this fanfiction focuses on the Before and After aspects of the game. It is the result of a pacifist play through only. It expands upon my previous story, Rising From the Ashes and takes place exactly 1 year after that story ended, or 11 years after the barrier was broken. The Prologue is a mixture of both cannon and head cannon. While I originally was not planning on a sequel, this idea came pretty strong. I was still left with questions. I knew Frisk's backstory but what about Sans and Papyrus? What were their histories? What about Asriel and Chara? How did they fit in this? I was also a bit confused. If Asriel had escaped the Underground with a Human soul, why did Asgore decide to attack humanity then? Obviously Monsters and Humans had gone to war and Monster had ended up in the Underground because of said war. So with this wondering, I created this story. It can be read separate from Rising from the Ashes, so that should not be a problem. I hope you enjoy this story.

Many years ago, Humans and Monsters lived together on Earth. 

Humans evolved on one continent and Monsters on the other. For a long time they were oblivious of the other until the Humans, who had multiplied rapidly and used up all their land, started setting up colonies all around the Monsters’ continent. When the Monsters and Humans met, there was curiosity and suspicion. Monsters wanted to befriend the Humans but the Humans did not trust the Monsters or the magic that Monsters naturally possessed. So the Humans decided to create weapons that could counter the Monsters if they should ever try to attack. However, their guns were not as effective. Monsters could control various elements; they could create spells that could destroy the Humans easily. There were even some rumors that a Monster, when provoked could absorb a Human’s soul and become unstoppable. 

So in this fear, the Humans created technology that could give them the upper edge. First it was simple things; electricity, cars, roads and indoor heating and plumbing. Then it led to airplanes, tanks and machine guns not long after. Some Human scientists experimented with nuclear energy but that only hurt themselves and the environment.

During this boom of invention, the Humans gradually pushed the Monsters farther and farther away from their homelands until they were near the mountains on the western coast. This was for the widely held belief that Humans and Monsters should never mingle and that they prospered apart. Propaganda was spread about the Monsters’ violent tendencies and how if they wanted to, they could easily destroy Human kind. Hatred grew for everything that was Monster or magic. If a Human wanted to befriend the Monsters, they were ostracized from Humanity. If the Human wanted to share their technology and learn magic from the Monsters, they were dubbed a witch or wizard and burned at the stake. It was only until all the fossil fuels were used up that suddenly the Humans realized how helpless and vulnerable they were without their powerful technology. 

Fear for anything different had turned the Monsters into an enemy they could never defeat. Ruin fell upon the Humans. Their once shinning cities full of technology became no more as there were no ways to maintain it. Once beloved relics like cars, video games, anime and TVs were thrown into dumps or buried. These things were useless without electricity and people were more focused on surviving then bringing back things like Mew Mew Kissy Cutie. What was anime without TV? What was TV without electricity? In their haste to expand and grow, the land became hard to salvage and grow their crops on. Food ran out and Humanity started dying off. 

To protect themselves from other Humans, swords and spears were used. Chain mail was worn and armor was forged from the scraps of metal found in their former technology. Feeling sorry for the Humans and their plight, a few Monsters came forward to teach Humans how to use magic. At first Humans refused but over time, a select few Humans became knowledgeable. Magic was never a popular skill but no Human could deny that there was power in learning it.

Villages that were closest to the Monster territory were the ones who learned magic first. The Humans then taught it to their children and those Humans could protect their land from people who wanted to steal their food instead of trying to grow it themselves. Monsters were no longer as demonized as before but as the Human royals noticed, they realized there was a new threat. If Humans learned magic, they could revolt against their oppressors. Monsters weren’t the oppressors, the Human royals were. Monsters were just a convenient patsy for the Human rulers to manipulate their subjects. That’s why Monsters and Humans must be separate. If Monsters were treated as friends, suddenly the kings and queens of various territories no longer had the power of control. What were a few royals to magic wielding Humans and their Monster allies?

New laws were created. Now only Human royals could learn magic from Monsters. The kings and queens wanted to be the most powerful in the land. So any non-royal Human who performed magic was arrested, put on trial and publicly executed in their village. If the royal Humans were feeling particularly threatened, they would not even bother with a trial. It did not matter if it seemed unfair, the Human King at the time, King Edgar ruled with an iron fist. These systematic killings of non-royal Humans caused bitter resentment among the people. There were now frequent talks of rebellion. Around this time the Monster King decided it was time to attack.

King Asgore had recently taken the throne after his benevolent old father died and after seeing what the Human royals had done to their own kind and to Monster kind, he decided to rally the Monsters to fight back. He was young, reckless and had every intention of stopping the violence for good, to end all the centuries of persecution. This war became known as the Big War and the chaotic time leading up to it was called the Dark Ages, as electricity was no more. 

Monsters were magically powerful but Humans had their strong souls and excess amounts of determination. The Big War was brutal and never seemed to end. Many years went by and soon there were hundreds of casualties, primarily on the Monster side. Despite an effort to end the Big War quickly, it now looked impossible. Non-royal Humans protected their Monster friends the best they could but the Human royals were winning. But one day the Human royals realized the truth. Non-royal Humans vastly outnumbered those with royal blood. 

If these Humans were willing to die for the Monsters, to die for the enemy, who is to say these non-royals wouldn’t become angry enough to overthrow the royals who were in power? There had to be a different way. They had to think of a better plan, a plan that would safeguard the Human royals’ status and positions.

This was around the time when there were rumors of a huge cavern found under the mountains.

The Underground space under Mount Ebbot was the largest cavern in the world. It could easily hold all of the Monsters inside and if a strong barrier was put up, perhaps the Big War could finally be over. Just like when the Monsters were forced into small territories in the west, so too would they be forced into the Underground. The Humans, royals and non-royals alike would forget about them over time. A Human lifetime was much smaller than a Monster’s, it was inevitable. If enough time passed, Humans would forget that Monsters were supposedly kind creatures. If enough propaganda was used, perhaps the royals would return to power permanently. So the Human King Edgar met with his most trusted royal magicians and decided on a scheme that would entrap the Monsters forever in those hollow volcanic caverns of Mount Ebbot. It was conveniently located near the Monster territories and soon, the plan was put into place. That became the last battle. Many Monsters were killed in this battle for their survival and freedom.

The Skeleton armies, known for their intelligence and strong magic were nearly wiped out save for a few survivors. A few other races were wiped out completely. It wasn’t until it was too late that King Asgore realized what had happened. The Monsters were forced to retreat into the Underground, facing near extinction if they remained. The Human royals were too powerful and the barrier was cast. If Monsters were to ever escape their prison, there were only two options. 

For an individual Monster to escape, they had to kill a Human and use the power of their combined souls to escape. For the barrier to be broken and freedom restored, the Monsters would require seven Human souls to achieve a godlike power. By forcing the Monsters to commit genocide, the Human royals knew this would keep them trapped forever. If any Humans entered the Underground, the Monsters would not attack simply because they would not kill in cold blood. Monsters were pacifists by nature and even if one did manage to escape, the death of an innocent Human would only prove that Monsters were just as capable of violence and murder.

A few decades after the barrier was put up, there was one Monster who escaped. This Monster was the young son of King Asgore who had obviously absorbed a Human soul. He wandered into the Human Capital and was instantly attacked. When the Monster retreated back into the Underground mortally wounded, he became the last Monster seen in a century. As time went on, life worsened for the Humans. Tensions between the royals and non-royals continued and without any way to prevent it, famine and sickness were common and the population dwindled.

Trapped under Mount Ebbot, the Monsters were slowly losing hope of ever being free again. King Asgore had become very old, feeling older still when he realized that he would have to once again resort to genocide. The truth was the Underground could not sustain them indeterminately. Pacifism was all well and good. It was taught and every Monster preferred it but freedom for every Monster required Human souls. Freedom required him to earn LV and EXP. Knowing the Humans were responsible for his son’s death, so soon after losing Chara, Asgore was tormented by grief and guilt. It did not lessen the fact that he had to do his duty as the king.

During the Monsters’ imprisonment, the Humans who had been their friends never forgot the initial kindness of the Monsters. They passed down the knowledge of pacifism and magic to their children. The non-royal Humans knew that this war was wrong, that Monsters were never evil. Even when that one Monster escaped, he did not hurt any Humans. The propaganda was wrong. With their citizens no longer obeying the laws set down during the Big War, the Human King and his son were becoming desperate. Their citizens were now actively rebelling. Every day there were new accounts of non-royal Humans blatantly breaking the most sacred of laws, they were learning magic or teaching it to other non-royals. No matter the threats or punishments, the Monsters’ influence still remained. No one respected the Human King’s right to rule like they used too. So in one last ditch effort to hold onto their power, every few years a child from one of these non-royal magicians would be sacrificed to the Monsters in the Underground. While the parents watched, children were thrown into the dark depths of Mount Ebbot, screaming in fear.

This horrid tradition was designed to keep rebels from misbehaving and for a while, it worked.

By the time that Frisk was born, King Edgar had been dead for sixty years. His son had now taken up the mantle as the Human King and he was far crueler then his father had ever been. He was relentless. He didn’t bother to arrest non-royal magicians; he merely went from one village after another and killed them all. The children were taken and trained to be his personal soldiers. All non-royal magicians were dead or in hiding. For a time, Frisk’s village was spared by sheer dumb luck. Every day there was an expectation that the Human King would come but he didn’t.

Frisk had a happy life. Her village was on the edge of Mount Ebbot and while it was not a popular skill to have, her Papa knew magic and told stories to Frisk and her big sister. He told them of the kind Monsters who lived underneath the mountain. All seemed well but soon their luck started changing for the worse. First her Mama died, then not long after, Frisk’s big sister succumbed to a terrible fever. Soon all that remained was Frisk and her Papa in their old house.

Despite keeping under the radar, Frisk’s Papa was found out. The Human King sent soldiers to the village. They ransacked the village, killed the magicians and kidnapped the children. Frisk’s Papa sacrificed himself so that Frisk could escape. He told her to go to Mount Ebbot because everyone knew that the soldiers were scared of the Monster legends. Frisk would be safe at the mountain. So Frisk ran and like all the children before her, she fell into the Underground. She was an ordinary child, a ten year old that was kind and determined to survive, yet she managed to do the impossible. Frisk saved the Monsters, freeing them from the Underground. Frisk was treated as their hero.

However there was one more hero, a hero that so many had forgotten. What had become of him?


	2. Chapter 2

(11 Years Later after the Barrier Was Broken)

One cold night, a lone figure stood on the banks of the river. No one knew them; no one knew where they had come from. 

The identity of the River Person had always been mysterious. They were one of the last remaining Skeletons, a Skeleton whose face was always hidden by a long black robe. The River Person did not give a name or a gender. They simply were who they were and just like they had been doing for over a decade, the River Person navigated the nearby rivers.  
The River Person understood the rivers. They understood how to handle a boat and how to deal with the currents and obstacles that got in the way. They could also steer a boat better than any Human or Monster. Every day, their pale boney hand would paddle their way back and forth depending on the customer’s destination. 

This night however, there were not many customers. It did not matter to the River Person; if anything they enjoyed the peaceful quiet. The idleness gave them the opportunity to marvel at the moon and the stars that glittered in a million constellations. There were no stars in the Underground, no moon either. It was a very dark and lonely existence. 

Back when the River Person had navigated the waters under Mount Ebbot, the only thing that kept the path lit were the glowing stones that studded the ceiling of Waterfall. The stones were beautiful but they were poor substitutes for the stars. There were more customers back then too. Monsters were frequent but there was also that one Human child who survived…Frisk. Frisk always seemed to be traveling back and forth on the Underground’s river, always in a hurry too.

Where she was going…why she was going…it didn’t really matter.

The River Person enjoyed the company. It was a strange feeling, wanting to be alone but to also long for companionship. To miss one’s family and one’s beloved but to desire the silence that came with isolation. At least here there were no expectations. If the River Person wanted to be sad, they could be sad. If the River Person wanted to be happy they could be happy. There was no guilt and the children left behind, they wouldn’t understand. They could never understand. Yet that was all in the past, things were better now. Frisk had freed them from the Underground.

After a decade on the surface, the River Person had become reacquainted with the beauty of the world. Suddenly things were less depressing. Realizing the need for transportation, the River Person made it their job to ferry people on the above ground river that ran from the mountains to the ocean. The stars could be useful in navigation and to get their bearings. It was quite simple. In the west, near the dark stretch of ocean was Newer Home. The Monster community was lit up and surrounded by hundreds of glowing blue echo flowers. It always looked beautiful at night.

To the east was the Human Capital. It was much hotter there and it nestled on the edge of a desert. The city was darker and hardly visible from the river. The River Person knew that the Humans were trying to regain electricity but few could afford it. No matter how hard Alphys tried to help the Humans there were always obstacles in the way. Politics could be so bothersome! It was better to avoid such matters; the River Person was an expert at avoiding the unnecessary.

“Tralala…tralala” The River Person sang softly. “How nice it is to see this pretty ebony sky!”

Pushing against the river bank, the boat bobbed up and down through the currents. Effortlessly the River Person navigated the boat until suddenly they heard an eerie noise that made their bones start to rattle. It sounded like a child crying. Softly at first but it grew louder and louder the closer the boat drifted towards the mountains. If the River Person did not know better, they could have sworn it was coming from Mount Ebbot itself. They stopped singing and listened to the wailing cry. It was a hysterical kind of crying, as if the child was both angry and incredibly sad. “What makes such a noise?” The River Person wondered. “No child could ever cry that loud!”

The crying noise went on for a few more minutes before stopping. That was when the land around the River Person started shaking. Never before had the River Person experienced such a violent earthquake. Trees started toppling on the riverbanks; the boat bobbed up and down as the water lapped against the side. From the momentum, the River Person lost their balance and fell off their perch onto the floor of the boat. They had to hold onto the sides to keep from falling out. Water flooded the riverbanks and suddenly, there was a shift in the air. As fast as the earthquake happened and as loud as the crying had been, suddenly there was silence. It stopped, it all stopped as if nothing happened. There was something magical a foot, the River Person noted. This was not normal. There were no aftershocks but it seemed as if the whole world was waiting.

The idea that this could be a lost soul came to mind. There were legends of lost souls trapped in the Underground alongside the Monsters. Not ghosts of course, ghosts were Monsters. Ghosts were born; they lived and died just like any other Monster. Lost souls were something different and they were very dangerous. The cry of a lost soul always foretold disaster in the near future. That was how the legend always went. After learning about lost souls from their beloved, the River Person became anxious. 

Before he died, before he fell into the fires of the core, the River Person’s beloved would tell about such things. Of course, it at first sounded like superstitious nonsense. Perhaps Monsters felt the guilt that came with harvesting a Human’s soul in preparation for escape. Perhaps it was something more supernatural but there was no denying that something unnatural had made that sound. “I can’t stay here.” The River Person said softly. “I must warn someone. A lost soul is a powerful thing. What if it hurts someone and I did nothing? I can’t just stay here in the river.”

Feeling the flickers of determination, the River Person sighed and turned the boat towards Newer Home. They had family there, sons who lived with the young Human, Frisk. They would know what to do. The River Person would alert them to the danger and then the River Person would leave. It was the only way. Yet even as the lone Skeleton came to this conclusion, it did not make it easy to push off in that direction. It had been a very long time since they had their last reunion.

Would the River Person be welcomed? Would the sons recognize the parent that had abandoned them long ago in the face of depression and despair? It had been a difficult time for their family. How could one explain the emptiness of losing a loved one to the sons who also lost a father? They would not understand. They were naïve little children at the time. They did not know the pain and suffering that the River Person had to deal with. No, it was better that they were separate. The sons were better off alone. Yet even with this reasoning, if the sons were in danger, no amount of pitiful excuses could stop the River Person from realizing that this was necessary.

So trying to be courageous, the River Person wrapped their black robe more securely and began the long trip to that led to the sons’ home. It was time to return. Unlike Snowdin, Newer Home was a lot warmer and there were more houses. It was a true combination of the Waterfall and the Snowdin communities. Stepping onto the dry land felt unnatural and while it was still dark, there was a hint of sun that was starting to rise over the mountains. Dawn was approaching very soon.

The River Person wondered what would happen if a Monster saw them and questioned their identity. If they no longer were on the river, was the River Person just a person? Just an anonymous person who wandered the streets of Newer Home? After all, they no longer used their real name, so who were they really? Were they anybody at all? It was a strange, uncomfortable kind of thought. The River Person continued forward, trying not to think about it. 

The house the sons lived in now was very similar to their old Snowdin home. It was bigger, yet some things remained the same like the festive Christmas lights that Papyrus enjoyed and the room that secretly held a laboratory. The only thing missing was the snow but that didn’t matter. Feeling nostalgic, the River Person ran their hands along the walls and touched the door. It was time. The sun had risen and the sons were probably awake now. They had always been early risers; it was a trait they both inherited from their father. The River Person knocked on the door. Suddenly the door flew open and the River Person was startled backwards. Papyrus was smiling, saying something about puzzles but when he saw the stranger at the door, he looked concerned.

“HELLO! ARE YOU OKAY?” Papyrus asked, looking at the hooded figure curiously. “I DID NOT MEAN TO SLAM THE FRONT DOOR OPEN IN YOUR FACE. WHAT IS YOUR NAME STRANGER? MY NAME IS PAPYRUS. I DON’T BELIEVE I HAVE SEEN YOU BEFORE. DID YOU COME TO SEE SANS OR THE HUMAN? FRISK LIVES HERE TOO.”

The River Person gaped silently, unsure of how to proceed. Did Papyrus not recognize them?

”Bro, who are you talking to?” Sans asked, he and Frisk came outside. 

Frisk smiled in recognition but the look on Sans’ face darkened into something like a glare. Sans recognized the figure. His eye flashed a bright blue and his anger was evident. The River Person backed away nervously. “How dare you come here?” Sans demanded. “How dare you talk to my bro?”

Papyrus was confused. “SANS? WHY ARE YOU SO UPSET?”

”This is our mother Papyrus, known as Verdana or I suppose now…the River Person.”


	3. Chapter 3

There was a long awkward silence as Papyrus stared at the stranger. He then noticed that Verdana the Skeleton looked very similar to himself but smaller stature and with bigger bones. The mouth was like Sans’ mouth but the eye sockets were like his own. The recognition brought back old memories but it did not lessen the confusion and the growing anger at this realization. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS OUR MOTHER?” Papyrus demanded. “YOU TOLD ME THAT OUR MOTHER IS DEAD. THAT AFTER OUR FATHER DIED, OUR MOTHER DIED TOO OF A BROKEN HEART. WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME, BROTHER? MOM IS CLEARLY ALIVE! WHY DID YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME…AFTER ALL THIS TIME?”

Sans groaned, rubbing his skull. He was still angry but now it was too late. “You were too young at the time Papyrus, so you don’t remember but Verdana...our mom abandoned us. We were left to fend for ourselves when I was fourteen and you were eleven.”

The River Person frowned, now feeling uncomfortable. “It does not matter. I was never meant to be a mother. It hardly would have mattered if I stayed there or not. It was better that I had left.”

“Of course it mattered! You were our parent!” Sans exploded out. “We just lost Dad and then you disappeared because you could not handle being a mother! You are so selfish! I had to explain to my little brother why our Mom, who is supposed to love us unconditionally just left. So if you came here to apologize, don’t bother. I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want Papyrus to hear it. He’ll only get hurt because of you.”

The River Person was taken aback by this exclamation but Sans said nothing more. He just glared at his mother, the Skeleton in front of him and stormed back into the house. Papyrus, who up until this point had believed Sans was his only living relative, was stunned by what had occurred. He didn’t know what to do. He looked at Verdana, then he look back inside to where Sans had gone. “I…I SHOULD PROBABLY GO AFTER SANS.” Papyrus said awkwardly. “I’M VERY SORRY; IT WAS NICE TO FINALLY MEET YOU AFTER ALL THIS TIME.” He gave his mother one last look and all that remained was Frisk and Verdana the River Person. 

“Are you angry with me too?” The River Person asked her quietly. “I did not mean to cause trouble to your household. I never should have come. I only meant to warn you all about a great danger that is coming soon. I figured that you would know what to do Frisk. You are good at saving people and we might need saving soon. If what I think is coming actually arrives here.”

Frisk sighed and gave a small smile. “No, I’m not mad. Sans…I think is not mad either. He’s just really hurt. It is just easier to react with anger when you are hurting. I knew his dad died but he never talked about his mom…you. He never talked about you. I guess I know why now. But you were always kind to me back in the Underground. What kind of danger should we beware of?” 

“Beware the forgotten one.” The River Person told her. Their voice was ominously low. “Beware the lost soul full of sadness and hatred. I sensed it coming from Mount Ebbot. This lost soul is powerful, it made the land shake and there were cries that made my very bones rattle. I was worried. I may not be a good mother or even a decent one but I want to keep Sans and Papyrus safe. Please tell them that. They might not believe me but if they hear it from you, then maybe.” The River Person smiled sadly and turned to leave. It was time to return to the river for good.

Frisk watched the River Person walk away, thinking about what just happened. She gave a long sigh. This was not the morning she had expected. What started out as a good morning filled with laughter now was filled with bitter anger. The guys needed her…Sans especially needed her. When he was hurting, Frisk’s first instinct was to be by his side and help him through his pains. She closed the door and saw Papyrus in the hallway outside of Sans’ bedroom. He was knocking on the door but Sans was refusing to get out. “SANS! YOU CAN’T STAY IN THERE FOREVER. WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED. IT IS IMPORTANT!”

“Go away!” Sans muffled reply. “I really can’t deal with this right now. Leave me alone.”

Papyrus frowned and leaned against the wall. He rubbed his skull trying to think of what to do. It was barely dawn and he was hardly prepared for such drama this early in the morning. When he saw Frisk, Papyrus went over to the young woman and smiled hopefully. “CAN YOU HELP?”

Touching the bedroom door, Frisk smiled softly. “I can try. Sans taught me how to teleport last year. I think I’ll be able to teleport inside even if it’s locked. I know Sans wants to be alone but I think in this situation, he should have someone to be with. Just like you, I hate seeing him sad.”

Closing her eyes, Frisk started channeling her magic. It started slow at first but then it got stronger, the red energy swirled around her and with a popping noise, she disappeared and found herself in Sans’ bedroom. Usually when Frisk stayed in this room, it was better organized but in his anger, Sans had thrown everything to the side with his magic and was fuming by himself in the corner. He did not look up but Frisk could tell he knew she was there. 

“Are they gone? Has my mother left us again?” Sans asked quietly. He looked almost afraid of the answer. 

“Yes, the River Person is gone.” Frisk said solemnly. “We were being warned about a danger.”

“That’s it? Is that all Mom wanted to say?” Sans asked incredulously. “Not even a hello or how are you doing? We haven’t heard from Mom in years and that’s all we get?”

“I’m afraid so.” Frisk shrugged. “But still, at least your mother was thinking of you. If there is a terrible danger coming, the River Person was kind enough to let us know. You know how rarely they leave their post. To come here…even when they knew that they were unwelcome was a brave act. They might not be the best mother but deep down; the River Person still loves you.”

Sans did not look convinced. He stood up and faced Frisk, giving her a sad smile. “I don’t even know why I still care. It’s not like Mom bothered to check up on us when we were homeless and staying at one friend’s house after another. If it wasn’t for King Asgore’s kindness, I would not have been able to buy food for myself and my bro.”

Frisk went closer to him and wrapped her arms around his bony frame. She hugged him and whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry you had to go through such pain Sans. You care because you were hurt and betrayed by your mother. Nobody should go through something like that. However you are not alone. Papyrus loves you, your friends love you and I love you. I love you so much.”

Sans hugged her back and for a moment, they just embraced in that quiet room. “Ya know this wasn’t how I expected this day to go.” He sighed. “Today is the anniversary of you living here and of us being together. I was hoping it would be a bit more fun and happy. Then the River Person had to ruin it all and I probably ruined the day too.”

“You didn’t know.” Frisk said, smiling. “Sometimes bad things happen but it doesn’t mean good things don’t happen too. We haven’t had breakfast yet. Why don’t we go into the kitchen? I think I remember Papyrus mentioning something about breakfast spaghetti. We better go and check up on him in case he burns the house down. He did learn everything about cooking from Undyne.”

Sans winced at the thought. “I made sure Alphys installed sprinklers in our home in case a fire happens but…we should probably and go check up on him. Papyrus is worried about me and I know I lied to him about Verdana but it’s not like I had much of a choice. Every day he asked me when Mom was coming home. It broke my heart but what else could I have done? I lied so he wouldn’t feel heartbroken too.”

“You did the right thing.” Frisk assured him. “You protected your brother and while the truth hurts, at least he’s old enough to understand it now. Papyrus will understand. I am sure of it.” Frisk threaded her fingers with his and pulled him into a passionate kiss. For a Skeleton who had no lips, Sans could only do so much but he reacted very enthusiastically. He pressed his teeth to her cheek, her lips and to her shoulders, making the young woman giggle. He rested his skull on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. His voice was seductively smooth, causing Frisk to shiver. “Your hands are glowing red again… I bet I can guess what you are feeling now!”

One of the first lessons of magic was how to create it. As Sans had explained to her long ago, the different types of emotions and the intent behind them decided how powerful the magic was and how it manifested. The most common manifestation was elemental magic like fire. However, Frisk’s magic manifested into bolt like energy similar to Undyne’s power to create blue spears. Frisk’s power was strongly tied to her love and determination. When it was not focused into attacks, she could also use it in other ways but Frisk’s hands always glowed red. It was a side effect of the magic. That, and for some reason the magic she created could not tell the difference between love and lust filled passion. She could not help the glowing; it was the evidence of a newly learned magician. It took years to gain a mastery of magic and Frisk had not trained long.

So on occasions like these, when she was feeling a certain type of way towards a certain Skeleton. Magic just seemed to happen. The red glowing was harmless but very embarrassing. Frisk looked down in surprise and saw that Sans was right, her hands were glowing a warm red again. She shook them, hoping to make the red go away. Frisk gave him a halfhearted smile. “I’m sorry about this.” She mumbled apologetically. “I wish I could control my magic better.”

Sans grinned cheekily. Then reaching out, he gently took her hands and looked into her eyes. “Aww, it’s not so bad. I love to see ya hands glow red, it means you still got the hots for me even after all this time. But ya don’t need magic to bewitch me Frisky.”

Frisk giggled shyly. “I’ve always got the hots for you.” She teased.

Suddenly there was a loud knocking on the door. The Skeleton and the Human both jumped up in surprise, pulled out of their flirting and teasing. “SANS? HUMAN? ARE YOU BOTH STILL IN HIDING IN THERE?” Papyrus demanded impatiently. “I MADE SOME BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI AND I’D LIKE US ALL TO EAT IT. SO PLEASE COME OUT, I’M NOT MAD BROTHER. LET’S HAVE SOME FUN. WHY DON’T WE PLAY SOME PUZZLE GAMES?” 

“Alright bro, we’re coming out.” Sans said, unlocking the door and coming out into the hallway with his hands entwined with Frisk’s. “I’m glad you made breakfast ‘cause I’m starving. Look at me; I’m so hungry you can see my ribs! I only bones I’m so hungry.”

“SANS! IT’S TOO EARLY FOR YOUR JOKES.” Papyrus complained. 

He did not look angry though, he only smiled at Frisk when she winked; knowing that whatever had bothered his brother, Sans was feeling better. Instead he started strutting in the kitchen with Sans and Frisk following behind. “I THINK YOU’LL FIND THAT THIS SPAGHETTI IS A MASTERPIECE. I HAVE EVEN ADDED A FEW SURPRISES FOR YOU HUMAN. THERE’S EXTRA CHEDDAR CHEESE AND A FRIED EGG. I WANTED TO MAKE US A SPECIAL MEAL!”

“Thank you Papyrus.” Frisk said, smiling at Sans. “I think that’s just what we need right now.”


	4. Chapter 4

After the River Person visited, things seemed to become tense in the Skeleton household. There wasn’t any anger, not really but there was tension over the reason for their mother’s unexpected visit. Papyrus was fully convinced their mother still loved them. He reminded Sans that if their mom had not loved them, they would not have bothered to come and warn them about the mysterious lost soul. In his mind, it was obvious that Verdana should become part of their lives.

Papyrus was bursting with curiosity and wanted to talk with them about his mom but Sans refused to discuss the subject. He would teleport away to his bedroom and Papyrus would be left feeling frustrated. Both boys complained to Frisk about the other and the young woman felt caught in the middle. Frisk wanted to help but there was little she could do until they realized that they were both being stubborn. Until they came up with a compromise, Frisk decided to stop playing messenger. Relaying messages back and forth was exhausting. Instead, she focused on researching what a lost soul was. With no information, the River Person’s message troubled her.

She sat on the couch one evening, looking through book after book. Papyrus was playing with a Rubik cube, switching the colors so that they made designs. Sans was taking a nap on his favorite chair and in the silence, it seemed things were a bit better. “Why can’t I find anything?” Frisk complained, going through the fifth book. “There’s everything but mention of lost souls.”

Sans gave a snort and woke up. He yawned and studied the young woman with concern. She was getting desperate in her search. “I doubt your gonna find anything about lost souls in there Frisky.” He told her gently. “Most Monsters don’t believe that souls could linger after death. Even Human souls are known to fade after a time. Lost souls were more of a legend to scare baby bones. You would have more luck in horror stories.”

“If it’s just a story why did the River Person warn me about a lost soul?” Frisk asked impatiently.

Sans glowered and looked down. “Mom has always been unstable. When Verdana gave up their identity to become the River Person, they started spewing out all sorts of nonsense. Verdana would sing and babble constantly while ferrying the Monsters.”

“I THINK YOUR BEING A LITTLE HARSH BROTHER. MOM SEEMED ALRIGHT TO ME. THEY MUST HAVE HAD A GOOD REASON TO BE CONCERNED TO VISIT US.” Papyrus chided Sans. He then smiled warmly at Frisk. “HUMAN YOU SHOULD ASK THE MONSTER KING. ASGORE KNOW ABOUT SOULS. HE COLLECTED THEM TO BREAK THE BARRIER. MAYBE HE OR DOCTOR ALPHYS KNOWS SOMETHING WE DON’T.”

Frisk looked up from her book in surprise. “Why didn’t I think of that? To think I was looking through all these books when I can actually talk to someone. Father knows all about souls, possibly even lost souls. If I can talk to him, we can finally figure this out. Great idea Papyrus!”

Papyrus beamed happily at the praise. “GLAD TO HAVE HELPED! I AM KNOWN FOR MY GREAT IDEAS AFTER ALL. I’M NOT CALLED THE GREAT PAPYRUS FOR NOTHING!”

“It might not be that simple Frisky.” Sans warned. “Tori still becomes very upset when you mention the souls that were sacrificed to break the barrier. She told me about the children she adopted before you fell into the Underground. Losing them and having Asgore kill them…she was not in a good place. We have to be careful.”

“Yeah… you’re right.” Frisk grumbled in frustration. “Mother has been through so much, I don’t want to hurt her with old memories. But what else can I do? I can’t just sit here, hoping that this danger is not real. I can’t just assume the River Person was lying. I am supposed to be the savior of Monsters but I don’t know how to protect anyone because I don’t know what lost souls are!”

“Whelp, if you’re that upset, I’ll go with you.” Sans said, giving her a smile. “We’ll take a shortcut to the Dreemurr house and maybe I can distract Tori enough that she doesn’t listen in on your discussion with Asgore. I can tell her all these new puns I have been thinking of. I will get her laughing so hard, she will forget that you were ever there with terrible news. This way nobody gets hurt and I can be hilarious!”

“Hmm…I think that will work! We can get information and Mother will be happy! It’s the perfect plan, thank you.” Frisk said, going over to kiss Sans on the cheek in appreciation. “That’s the best idea and we can be subtle without hurting feelings. It shouldn’t take too long, if Father doesn’t know anything we’ll have to try something else. I hate being sneaky but it is necessary.”

Papyrus looked up from his Rubik cube, “IF YOU WANT HUMAN, I CAN GO TALK TO DOCTOR ALPYHS. I WAS PLANNING ON SEEING UNDYNE TODAY AND SINCE THEY LIVE TOGETHER NOW, IT WOULD NOT BE TOO HARD TO ASK HER ADVICE.”

Frisk nodded, “Thanks Papyrus. I think that will help. So we’ll meet back in a few hours okay?”

Papyrus gave her a thumbs up. He put away the puzzle and got up to stretch. Papyrus and Sans glanced at each other but there was still some awkwardness between the brothers. Frisk tried to be patient but the Skeletons didn’t budge. Sans was now actively ignoring his brother and it was driving the young woman crazy. “Ready to go Frisk?” Sans asked casually, he held out his hand. Even if they could both teleport now, Sans was the professional. Shortcuts were his thing. 

Frisk gave him her hand and waved at the taller Skeleton. “I’m ready. See you later Papyrus!”

There was a small popping noise and they both disappeared in a wave of blue and red magic. Within seconds they arrived at the Dreemurr home. When the Monsters became free over a decade ago, Asgore and Toriel built a house that was very similar to their old one in the ruins. This one was large and while it did not look like a fancy castle, there was something very dignified in its shape. Golden flowers were planted everywhere and the windows were stain glass with the Delta Rune engraved in the middle. It was surprisingly quiet and while Frisk felt comfortable walking the grounds of her old childhood home, the absence of her Monster parents made her feel uneasy. “Mother? Father? Is anybody home?” Frisk called, knocking on the door.

“Howdy Frisk! I’m over here in the garden. Feel free to come over.” Asgore’s voice rang out. 

He was in the back yard and he was tending to some weeds that had taken over his flower garden. Bending over, he pulled the grass out by the roots and trimmed the yellow blossoms that had gotten too big. Frisk noted that these were bright orange and yellow marigolds, some of her Father’s favorite flowers. She smiled fondly. Despite being the Monster King, he preferred to get his hands dirty in something as simple as gardening. He was such a contrast to the stuck up Human King that she had met last year. It was no wonder the Human King got under her skin. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. There was no use in remembering adventures of the past. Not when she was on a mission. “Father, is my Mother around?” Frisk asked casually.

Asgore stood up and wiped his brow. “Toriel? Oh, no she stepped out. She left a few hours ago, planning to visit the library and then stop by your house. I’m surprised you have not seen her yet. The Newer Home library is practically next door to the Skeleton’s home, that’s very strange.”

“When did she leave the house?” Sans asked, “We have something that only you should hear and if Tori listens in, it could upset her. Frisk thinks it is important.”

Asgore scrunched up his face in thought. “Well…I suppose she left around 8:30 this morning. She was up bright and early. Tori had a book she wanted to check out at the library and then later she was hoping to surprise you Frisk by taking you out to lunch. Just yesterday, Tori mentioned how much she missed having mother daughter time with you. It’s been so quiet with just the two of us here. She misses talking with you and while Tori is aware how busy you can be, I think she was hoping to visit and catch up. I just assumed she had been visiting you for most of the day.”

Frisk did the math in her head. “Mother has been gone eight hours. That’s a long time to check out a book and if she wanted to see me, I would have gotten her call. She still has my cellphone number and she’s very adamant about calling ahead. This is not good. Did something happen?”

Asgore frowned, “What do you mean did something happen?”

Sans sighed impatiently. “What Frisk means is did you two fight. I know that you two have a complicated history. Were there arguments that would cause her to leave?”

“No…not that I’m aware of…” Asgore said thoughtfully. “We’ve been getting along better, even going to counseling to deal with the grief of our past. Besides, if Tori wanted to leave she would have let me know. She’s….she’s very good at getting her point across when she’s furious at me.” He rubbed his nose, as if remembering a past attack. Frisk smiled sympathetically. “Well, it’s probably nothing.” She said reassuringly. “Mother is one of the strongest Monsters in Newer Home. If anything has happened to her…well let’s not assume the worst quite yet! She might have just lost track of time chatting with her friends. She and Mrs. BunnBunn can talk for ages!”

Asgore thought this over, smiling softly. “That does sound like her. Perhaps you are right my child. I won’t panic yet. From the way you were talking, I thought that you knew something I didn’t and that my wife is purposely trying to avoid me again. She can be stubborn sometimes.”

Feeling it was the best time, Frisk decided to ask the question she was dying to ask all day. She willed her determination. “Father? Do you know anything about lost souls?” She asked quickly “Somebody mentioned them to me and I couldn’t find out what they were. Are they dangerous?”

“Lost souls?” Asgore repeated. He paled and looked visibly shaken. “What in Newer Home has got you looking into lost souls? How could someone…no…well you should not look into this, you could get hurt. Lost souls are dangerous and tormented things, trapped spirits unable to go to the afterlife. They would kill you soon as look at you. Please Frisk, it is better you stay away.” Seeing their expressions, Asgore tried to change the subject. “So...nice weather today, huh?”

Frisk crossed her arms and looked expectantly at her Father. She wanted more information and Asgore knew it. The Monster King sighed. “You’ve met Napstablook and the Mad Dummy. They are ghosts, Monsters with intangibility who unless they have a body, cannot touch you. Humans used to get them confused with lost souls all the time. Ghosts might haunt a house and they would scare the Humans but lost souls would do more than frighten, they would attack. I believe Humans might call them poltergeists? They are angry spirits who often want revenge on those who they believe wronged them. With no morals to stop their intent, a lost soul’s magic is far beyond what most Monsters are capable of. Luckily they are rare and few have seen one.”

Sans exchanged an uneasy look with Frisk. “So have ya seen a lost soul?” He asked quietly.

Asgore was silent for a moment. “I did…a long time ago when my son died. During the Big War we had lost so many Monsters. We were down to maybe a hundred in the Underground. The Humans took everything from us and Asriel had become their recent casualty. Chara died the previous day and in my grief and desperation, I begged Alphys to try to bring Asriel back from dust. She had been experimenting with the reanimation of Monster souls and I thought that it might work. I was naïve about lost souls; I didn’t realize what they were capable of. I just wanted to save my little son. However, what came back was not the Asriel I remembered. Asriel had become the infamous Flowey and the moment he came into existence, he tried to kill Alphys.”


	5. Chapter 5

“That horrible flower was the Prince?” Sans asked in disbelief. “That’s impossible.”

“No it’s not.” Asgore contradicted. “It’s possible. Just like a ghost needs a physical form to become corporal, the only way Asriel could hold onto existence was through determination and a substitute body for his shattered soul to inhabit. Flowey wasn’t a Monster; he was a persona that Asriel created in his lost soul state. It was easier for him to be someone else then to have attachments. My son was furious. He blamed Alphys and he blamed me. He hated me. Because Asriel inhabited an organic substitute body, the flowers and plants he possessed wilted quickly. He had to jump from plant to plant, and Asriel was miserable. He would cry something awful.”

Frisk frowned, thinking back. “This doesn’t make sense. If Asriel is a lost soul whose only emotion is hate, why did he break the barrier? He was ready to destroy everyone and everything. He had the Human souls; he had enough power, so why didn’t kill us? Why did he save us? The moment I reminded Asriel who he really was, Asriel broke the barrier. I don’t think he was evil. I think Asriel was a victim of circumstance. He must have thought the Human souls would return him to his old form but it did not work. Asriel was weakened and he had no one to save him.”

Asgore looked down in shame. “I am a failure. I let my son down. I killed innocent Humans because I wanted my kingdom to be free. I know I am a horrible, miserable creature but I was also desperate and scared. If we stayed in the Underground, we all would have died eventually. There was crowding, food shortages and when Doctor Gaster died, the core became unstable. But what I did to Asriel, I did because I was selfish. After the Big War, after Chara’s death, I could not stand losing anyone else. Alphys was trying to bring back Monsters, why not Asriel?” The goat Monster stood up from his garden, dusting off his clothes and looked at Frisk sadly. “It doesn’t even matter anymore. When the seven Human souls escaped from Asriel, he disappeared. I know longer saw Flowey waiting to kill us. I assumed that my son was dust. That after the final battle, he had used up all his determination. Nothing but the buttercups remained.”

“I saw Asriel.” Frisk admitted. “Right before we all went up to the surface, I found him in the ruins where I had once fallen. He was nothing more than a lost soul, I could see through him and he looked so tired. He told me to not to tell you he was there. He wanted me to love you and Toriel as if you were my own flesh and blood parents. Even if the barrier was open, he could not leave. He said something about needing to take care of the flowers. He must have been trapped.”

“Why didn’t ya tell us Frisk?” Sans asked. “We all assumed Flowey was gone for good. If we knew the truth, I might have been able to photo-sympathize with the plant a bit better. I just assumed he was just an evil being bent on destroying everything.”

Frisk shrugged, looking at Sans sadly. “I think he was afraid we’d try to destroy him for good. Few people knew his real identity and before he had a change of heart, he tried to kill us all. Who’s to say? I was just a little kid but I kept my promise. If Asriel was unable to leave the Underground with the rest of us, he must still be trapped down there. Can you imagine? Being stuck to a patch of dirt for eternity and no one for company? I’m surprised he acted out now.”

Sans glanced at Asgore. “Does Toriel know about her son’s fate?”

“No…if I told Tori the truth about our son…it would break her heart.” Asgore explained. “This was long before the children were being sent down, long before I started taking Human souls. I didn’t do this to be vindictive. I only wanted my son back. Losing Chara…then Asriel…it was hard for both of us. Toriel knows that I tried to bring Asriel back but she assumed that I failed.”

“Maybe she just thought this was your way of coping with grief.” Frisk mused. “Either way, if Asriel is still in the Underground, it could be possible that he’s trying to break out of his prison. You mentioned that he could jump from plant to plant. Does it matter which plant he possesses?”

Asgore shrugged, “I planted a lot of buttercups because Chara liked them but in all honesty, my son can be in any plant at any time as long as it’s close enough in proximity. Lost souls are powerful because as long as they have enough determination, their magic strength is unlimited.”

Frisk glanced at Sans imploringly. “Do you think the earthquake could be caused by Asriel? We both felt one the other night; it made us all wake up. There might be some connection there.”

Sans shrugged, “It is possible. No use rulin’ it out and treating it like a coincidence. Perhaps Flowey just wanted to shake things up a bit. He wanted some attention.”

“The west coast is known for their earthquakes.” Frisk reasoned, “But Verdana said she heard a lost soul cry out just before the earthquake happened. I think you’re right Sans, that was not a natural earthquake. If Asriel was asking for attention, maybe he was trying to escape at last.”

Sans was not pleased by the mention of his mother but he said nothing. Asgore however, was impressed. “My poor son is trying to get free.” The Monster King said softly. “Perhaps Asriel is returning to his old self after all. I must tell Doctor Alphys. We must find a way to save him. Even if he is stuck as a flower, we could give him a second chance at a somewhat normal life.” The Monster King was positively beaming at this new idea. 

Frisk smiled too but she exchanged a look with Sans. This was not going to be that simple. “We’ll try to help Asriel the best we can.”

“That’s all I can ask for.” Asgore assured her. The Monster King looked off into the distance; he bit his lip in worry. “For now, I think I’ll wait until Toriel gets home. It’s time I told her the truth about Asriel. Even if she might hate me again, it will be better to confess and ask her opinion on this. Asriel is her son too and I want to make things right. I have so many regrets and this is one of them. I tried so hard to win back her love, I just became too afraid to step out of line again. I didn’t want to make her hate me again. Toriel is far too good for me, I have always known this.”

Frisk and Sans left the house, with Asgore staring forlornly at the golden flowers. Frisk held onto Sans’ hand and they walked in silence, contemplating what they’d heard. Instead of teleporting, they walked for a bit down the path. They weren’t in a hurry and there was a lot of information to process. Sans however looked at Frisk guiltily. “I am really sorry I didn’t believe ya.”

“Oh, what do you mean?” Frisk asked, puzzled. 

She wasn’t the least bit angry but Sans was acting as if Frisk was going to yell at him. The Skeleton rubbed his neck sheepishly. “About the lost souls, I was being a real bonehead by telling ya they were only scary stories. Tibia honest, I was hoping that was all they were. I can’t imagine the torture that the Prince went through and by his own dad. I would have thought Ole Fluffybuns would have preferred mercy for Asriel.”

Frisk was silent for a moment. “I think…if I had to describe the faults of my parents, it would be that they both love too much. Father loves his kingdom, he loves his subjects and he’s willing to sacrifice his own morals if it meant making the people happy again. Mother is compassionate and is willing to sacrifice her freedom to save and look after every Human child that fell into the Underground. They both want the same thing but they show that love through different ways.”

Sans nodded, thinking this over. Frisk continued. “I believe that there’s not always a good answer. Sometimes grief causes us to make bad choices even if they were for the right reasons.”

“Grief…” Sans repeated to himself “Anger at another’s choices. I can see how this can mess with a person’s mind. I was so angry at my mom’s actions that I was almost willing to ignore the warning in favor of spite. I didn’t want to believe it even though I felt the earthquake too. I didn’t want to believe Mom was tryin’ to help.”

“Are you still mad at Papyrus for being curious about the River Person?” Frisk asked, smiling.

Sans huffed and looked at Frisk, smiling a little. “Nah, I’m over that and I’ll apologize to my bro. I forget sometimes that we can’t always keep secrets to protect the ones that we love. I’m no better than Asgore. He didn’t tell Toriel about Asriel being alive because he didn’t want her heart to get broken by what her son had become. I’m the same way. I didn’t want Papyrus to think that he was unloved because his mom was too unstable to look after us properly. I didn’t want to break his heart.”

“You really are a loving soul.” Frisk said affectionately. “Just tell Papyrus what you told me.”

Sans grinned sheepishly. “I guess talking to Asgore made me realize what a jerk I’ve been. I’m sorry to have put you through all that Frisky. My bro and I normally don’t argue about something as serious as this. Usually he’s just mad if I sleep too much.”

Frisk rolled her eyes and gently cuffed his shoulder. “Honestly! If that’s your idea of a fight…”

Sans laughed, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “Heh, well it could be worse.”

“I wonder if Papyrus had any luck learning about lost souls from Alphys.” Frisk mused as they steadily walked along the road. “If Father was surprised by our deductions that the lost soul could be Asriel, then he might not know as much as we thought. It just doesn’t make any sense. If Asriel was the cause of that earthquake and the crying, why come back after all this time?”

Sans shrugged, “Whelp, I guess we’ll find out when we arrive. Speaking of which, are we done walking? My shortcuts are faster and I don’t like walking if I can help it!”

“Sure, we can teleport home. I guess it’s just an old habit feeling the need to walk instead of using my magic to travel.” She held his hand and let Sans take them on his shortcut. There was a popping noise and a rush of magic before in a blink they were soon standing outside their home. It seemed there was something going on, Undyne was yelling at the top of her voice from inside. “Papyrus we can’t just stay here and do nothing! Alphys is missing! She never came back from the laboratory and now it’s been two days! I tried asking around but nobody knows anything!”

“PLEASE UNDYNE! CALM DOWN.” Papyrus said sternly. “I’M SURE THAT WHEN FRISK AND SANS ARRIVE WE CAN GO LOOK FOR ALPHYS BUT PANICKING WON’T DO US ANY GOOD. SHE COULD BE DISTRACTED WATCHING ANIME FOR ALL WE KNOW!”

“She’s not watching anime! I’ve already looked there! She was not by the TV or by her computer. Even her phone was on the bedside table. Alphys has been kidnapped by someone, I just know it. What if it’s the Humans? That Human King has become more demanding since Frisk went and negotiated terms for peace. He might have kidnapped her to get more weapons!” By now Undyne was holding a blue spear in her hand and she looked positively livid in anger.

Papyrus became worried. “IT COULDN’T BE THE HUMANS, LAST YEAR WE MADE A TREATY FOR PEACE. PLEASE DON’T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS. I KNOW YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT ALPHYS BUT WE DON’T WANT TO START UP A NEW BIG WAR.”

Suddenly Undyne stopped in her tracks, her face brightened when she saw Sans and Frisk walk into the room. Her spear disappeared and she looked hopefully around as if expecting them to be hiding Alphys. When her girlfriend wasn’t spotted, the Monster warrior’s expression darkened. “You haven’t seen Alphys…have you?” She asked hopefully, her tone betraying her concern.

Sans exchanged a look with Frisk. “Alphys is missing? That’s weird. What happened?”


	6. Chapter 6

Undyne huffed impatiently, sitting back down on the Skeletons’ couch. She crossed her legs to keep them from shaking. Despite how angry she looked, it was obvious that she was very scared. “Two nights ago there was a big earthquake that woke us out of a sound sleep.” Undyne began. “Alphys became worried that the Core Reactor was damaged and because it was already unstable, it could cause a cataclysmic disaster. Her words, not mine. She decided to go to the Underground that instant and while I offered to go with her, Alphys refused. Something about Hotland being too dangerous for me…whatever, I don’t know why she’s so worried. I can handle it. So I stayed behind and went back to sleep. When I awoke she was still gone. She had been gone for hours but she never came back. I tried asking around but nobody has seen her return.”

Frisk looked at her intently. “You’re not thinking about checking Hotland out now? Are you?”

“Just because you gave me that drink of water one time” Undyne scowled, “You think I can’t handle marching around in Hotland! I’m not some weakling to let a bit of heat slow me down.” 

“Nah, you’re more like a fish out of water!” Sans quipped.

“Who asked you Sans!” Undyne yelled angrily. She stood up and promptly headed for the door. Before she opened the door to leave, Undyne gave Frisk a pointed look. “If Alphys is not in the Underground, my next guess would be that the Humans took her. I promised Papyrus that I wouldn’t attack them but if they have her, there will be hell to pay and no one can stop me!” She dragged her finger across her throat dramatically and left the house without another word.

“Well…that was unexpected.” Sans said in the awkward silence. “Undyne really looks like she’s fish out of ideas at this point. It’s too bad about Alphys though. I know how much Undyne loves her. It must be unbearable not knowing where she is and if she’s even safe. Hmm…maybe Alphys is with Tori; after all they are both missing.”

“TORIEL IS MISSING TOO?” Papyrus demanded angrily, looking between Frisk and Sans. They both shrugged but Papyrus now started pacing anxiously back and forth in their living room. “YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING BROTHER! IF TORIEL IS MISSING AND ALPHYS IS MISSING, WE COULD ALL BE NEXT! WHAT IF UNDYNE IS RIGHT?” He got out his cell phone. “I SHOULD GO CALL ALL OUR FRIENDS AND WARN THEM!”

Frisk sighed and went out to stop Papyrus. “Toriel has been only missing for a few hours and it’s possible that it has nothing to do with Alphys’ disappearance.” She explained. However, if it makes you feel better, we’ll search for both of them but we have to try to keep calm about this.”

“MOM TOLD US THAT SOMETHING BAD WAS COMING.” Papyrus said anxiously. “I DON’T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FORGOTTEN ONE IS BUT I KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING HAPPENING. WHAT IF YOU GET STOLEN? WHAT IF SANS GETS STOLEN? WHAT IF IT’S JUST ME AND THERE’S NO ONE ELSE TO HELP US?”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that.” Sans said reassuringly. “You are the Great Papyrus, you could save us. No bones about it bro, I would trust you with my life.”

He went over and hugged his brother. Papyrus calmed down enough and wiped away a few tears that had ran down his cheeks. “I HAVEN’T TOLD ANYONE.” He admitted quietly. “BUT I HAVE HAD DREAMS WHERE EVERYONE WAS DEAD AND IT WAS JUST YOU AND ME, SANS. WE WERE SO ALONE AND FOREVER TRAPPED IN THE UNDERGROUND.”

Sans looked surprised at this. “When did you have these bad dreams? I thought you were happy. You rarely had nightmares, not even after were orphans in Snowdin.” 

Papyrus looked down. “I…I DIDN’T WANT YOU TO WORRY BROTHER. WHEN I WAS A BABY BONES, YOU TRIED SO HARD TO KEEP ME HAPPY, I DIDN’T WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I HAD DREAMS THAT MADE ME CRY. IT WAS…EMBARRASSING.”

“We’ve all had dreams of loneliness.” Frisk said gently. “If this happened after your dad died and after your mom left, well, having dreams of isolation is a natural way of processing a tragedy. There’s nothing embarrassing about that. You have always had a brave heart Papyrus.”

“I’m glad you told me bro.” Sans said with a smile. “I’m sorry about being so quiet about Verdana. I guess I just didn’t want to bring up sad memories. We finally got past all that Human Kingdom drama and now we’re finally at peace. The last thing we need is the River Person to give us omens of doom and gloom. I don’t want that.”

Papyrus nodded understandingly. “TRUE BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE AS SIMPLE AS THAT. UNDYNE IS REALLY WORRIED. I TRIED TO MAKE HER FEEL BETTER BUT SHE IS CONVINCED THAT THE HUMANS TOOK HER. WHAT IF I WAS WRONG SANS? WHAT IF ALL THE EFFORT IN MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE HUMANS WAS FOR NOTHING? WHAT IF THEY STILL HATE US AND WANT TO TURN US ALL TO DUST?”

“If it’s the Humans,” Sans assured, “Then we’ll deal with them when the time comes.”

“It’s not the Humans!” Frisk said stubbornly. “I’m the ambassador and I know firsthand that the Humans are too busy fighting amongst themselves to worry about the Monsters. It seems ever since they were given electricity, the non-royal citizens are rising up and trying to govern themselves in a sort of democracy. The Human King is too busy trying to maintain order then to bother with us. Besides, I’m more curious about why Undyne was here and not at her house. Weren’t you going to have another cooking lesson Papyrus? We weren’t expecting you so soon.”

“THAT WAS THE PLAN.” Papyrus admitted. “BUT WHEN I CALLED HER, UNDYNE WAS ALREADY HALF WAY TO OUR HOUSE. SHE WAS SO UPSET I WAS UNABLE TO TELL HER NO. SHE’S SO WORRIED ABOUT ALPHYS AND SHE WAS ALSO ANGRY THAT YOU TWO WEREN’T HOME. I’M SURPRISED SHE STAYED LONG ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN HER WORRIES BEFORE LEAVING AGAIN. I TRIED TO CALM HER DOWN.”

Sans shrugged. “Oh well. I’m sure she had her reasons to hurry. Do you know what she plans to do? She seemed determined to go out and risk her life to do something heroic, sorta like saving a princess in that anime Alphys likes so much.”

Papyrus looked worried. “UNDYNE WANTS TO GO INTO THE UNDERGROUND. SHE SAID SHE’LL SEARCH HOTLAND HIGH AND LOW FOR ALPHYS IF SHE HAS TOO. I TRIED TO TELL HER THAT IT’S A BAD IDEA. SHE GETS DEHYDRATED TOO EASILY BUT UNDYNE IS NOT THINKING CLEARLY. SHE IS SO IMPULSIVE AND RECKLESS.”

Frisk frowned, “We should go after her. Undyne might need us and if there really is a lost soul down there, she and Alphys could be in even more trouble. We should find them and help them.”

“Do yah really think that’s necessary?” Sans said reluctantly. “Sure Undyne gets really thirsty but she is the strongest warrior and the former leader of the Royal Guards. Also…I’m not sure I’d be able to handle being down in the Underground again. It would feel like a reset, as if the last eleven years never happened at all.”

“It’s not a reset.” Frisk assured. “Monsters will never be trapped down there again. We are just rescuing our friends and then life will go back to normal. There’s still a chance they are okay.” Sans looked uneasy, he looked at Papyrus. “Paps…what do you think?”

“THERE’S NO MORE BARRIER.” Papyrus said confidently. “THERE’S NOTHING TO STOP US FROM COMING BACK HOME TO NEWER HOME. WE’LL BE FINE BROTHER. IF OUR FRIENDS ARE IN TROUBLE, WE SHOULD HELP. I WANTED TO BE IN THE ROYAL GUARD AND THAT IS WHAT A ROYAL GUARD MEMBER WOULD DO. WE SAVE THOSE IN TROUBLE AND GIVE AID TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. WE MUST GO.”

Giving a long sigh, Sans looked between Papyrus and Frisk. “Alright…alright…I get it. I’m outvoted here. I don’t like the idea of returning to the Underground but if you two really think that it’s the best way to save our friends then okay, I’ll go and help ya.”

Frisk gave Sans a reassuring hug. Sans felt his bones rattle in fear despite his brave face but the young woman held him tight. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” Frisk told him. She then rested her head on his shoulder; her voice was gentle and soothing. “We won’t stay in the Underground any longer then we need too. We shall find our friends and then we’ll come back.”

Papyrus had already set to work preparing for their journey. He started digging through the closet, revealing a backpack and a flashlight. He grinned triumphantly. “I’LL BEGIN PACKING IMMEDIATELY. I’LL BRING ALL SORTS OF FOOD; CINNAMON BUNS, BI-CICLES, GLAMBURGERS, HOT DOGS, HOT CATS…”

“Don’t forget the ketchup!” Sans interrupted. “I think I’m going to need it.”

Frisk smiled softly, seeing Sans’ grim expression. He really was not looking forward to this journey but the young woman could not blame him. She knew his greatest fear was that this was all just some elaborate dream and that their happy life above ground was just that, a fantasy in the Underground. She supposed that after the Monsters have been trapped for 120 years, it was natural to fear the loss of freedom again. Sans was not an old Monster, not like Toriel and Asgore, he wasn’t alive during the banishment but a majority of his life was in the Underground. Sans teleported from the living room, probably to his bedroom and Papyrus kept busy making sure that they had everything needed for the trip. Frisk decided to keep out of Papyrus’ way and started dialing Asgore’s cellphone number. He usually had his phone on his in case one of his royal subjects needed him but he was not good at texting. She dialed the number and it rang.

It kept ringing…and ringing. Nobody but the answering machine picked up.

Frisk frowned and hung up without leaving a message. This was unlike her Father. He rarely missed a call, especially since Toriel was missing. Asgore knew that Frisk was worried, no matter what he was doing; her Father would pick up the phone and tell her everything was fine.

“FRISK? WHAT’S WRONG? IS THE KING NOT ANSWERING?” Papyrus asked. He had dumped most of the food in the backpack and was now hefting it on his back. The tall Skeleton looked at the young woman’s face with concern. “I’M SURE THAT HIS MAJESTY IS SAFE!”

“First Mother is missing, then Alphys and now Father?” Frisk said, frowning as she listed the names. “This is sounds less like a coincidence and more like a kidnapping. I want to believe that my parents are okay and that Alphys was distracted by the core but after hearing all the rumors about lost souls. What if there’s a connection? All three had something to do with poor Asriel.”

“I WONDER IF THE PRINCE IS THE FORGOTTEN ONE.” Papyrus mused. His face was serious and deep in thought. He started pacing, having forgotten about the backpack on his back. “MOM WARNED US ABOUT THE LOST SOUL AND THESE LAST TWO DAYS, YOU’VE BEEN REPEATING THAT LINE ABOUT THE FORGOTTEN ONE. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT MEANT BUT NOW IT MAKES SENSE. ASRIEL IS THE FORGOTTEN SOUL!”

“I think so too.” Frisk agreed. “But this is not about who the forgotten one is; it’s about how we are going to save Asriel. He’s been lost for so long in the Underground, trapped in a form that is probably a living hell. While I managed to turn him back into himself eleven years ago, he probably returned to possessing plants to continue his existence. This is not going to be easy.”

He’s been lost and alone down in the Underground for a long, long time. Over a century in fact! While I managed to turn him back into himself eleven years ago, he probably has returned to possessing plants to keep his existence. This is not going to be easy.”

Papyrus shrugged. “WE’LL FIGURE IT OUT HUMAN, DON’T WORRY! I HAVE TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN OUR ABILITY TO SAVE THE DAY. WE ARE HEROES AFTER ALL!”

They both stood by the doorway, bags in hand as they waited for Sans. Just like before they went on their quest to find the Humans, there was a tense atmosphere. Papyrus was still pacing, undeterred by the heavy backpack filled with food that he carried on his shoulders. When some minutes passed, Papyrus was becoming impatient. “SANS COME ON! IT’S GETTING LATE!”

“I’m comin’ bro. I just had to take care of a few things.” Sans said with a yawn. He teleported down the stairs, he looked like he was dragging his feet but Frisk knew better. Sans had low HP and was susceptible to attacks. Without the knowledge of what they were getting into, the Skeleton always made sure to get some extra health through sleep. Laziness kept him alive sometimes, even if Papyrus disapproved. His brother was looking annoyed, he gave a huff.

“FINALLY, NOW WE CAN START!” Papyrus said. He took hold of Frisk’s hand and she held onto Sans’ hand. With a swish of magic and a popping sound, the group teleported to the edge of Mount Ebbot where they had all originated so many years ago. Despite the large interior, it seemed so small in comparison to the rest of the world. Beyond Mount Ebbot they could see the ocean and Newer Home in the distance. The sun was starting to set beyond the mountain range.

Papyrus was all ready to go look for Undyne and Alphys, but Sans hesitated. He held onto Frisk’s hand and stared at the sunset. 

“Don’t worry.” Frisk said reassuringly. “We’ll come back.”

“I know we’ll return…” Sans said quietly. He looked at Frisk, smiling. “I trust ya Frisky.”


	7. Chapter 7

Frisk turned on the flashlight as the three walked into the caverns below Mount Ebbot. Unlike before when she had fallen, Frisk knew where the edge was and carefully stepped down the incline. Sans and Papyrus followed too and slowly but surely, the light from the sun dimmed as they went deeper into the Underground. There was a deafening silence as they went farther and farther until it was pitch black. Suddenly, pushing through the heavy doors there lay the ruins.

“WOWIE! IT LOOKS SO DIFFERENT THEN BEFORE.” Papyrus commented as they walked along the path. “I ALSO DO NOT RECALL SEEING SO MANY FLOWERS LAST TIME!”

They looked around in awe, large vines were hanging from the ceiling and everywhere there were yellow flowers. When she had been a ten year old girl who had fallen into the Underground there was a small patch of buttercups, now the entire ground was covered with them. It was not just buttercups either, there were trees and bushes, there were wild roses with sharp thorns that seemed to move if one looked at them in their peripheral vision. The Underground was quiet. So quiet that it seemed creepy. In the past there had been noises of other Monsters, usually the smaller ones scurrying around or going about their day. In the past there used to be the smell of butterscotch cinnamon pie wafting through the halls. Now there was nothing but these plants.

“So…does anybody else feel like we’re being watched?” Sans asked, trying to stay calm.

They were approaching Toriel’s old home but the closer they got, the more pronounced the feeling became. Suddenly vines started moving around like giant snakes. The rustling of the plants were becoming louder and louder as if something was coming. Sans’ eye started glowing blue in the dim lighting and Papyrus wielded one of his bone attacks. Frisk too stood ready, despite holding the flashlight, her left hand glowed red and they waited as the noise got louder.

Suddenly, the vines stopped and one particular flower popped out of the ground. “Howdy! I’m Flowey! Flowey the flower but I guess you already knew that didn’t cha?” The plant giggled loudly. “It’s been a long time Frisk. I see you brought the smiley trash bag and his little brother.”

Frisk looked around, preparing for Flowey’s attack but none came. Flowey smirked and noticed the magic glowing in Frisk’s hand. “Hmm…I see the little Human learned how to protect herself. Well, I suppose those sticks were overrated! Don’t worry; I don’t plan to steal your soul. I’ve already tried that move and surprise! It didn’t work. It doesn’t matter. While you were up on the surface having a grand old time I was becoming more powerful. My vines, roots and flowers stretch over the entire Underground now. I can be everywhere and see everything all at once!”

As if to show off his strength, Flowey used the vines to surround Toriel’s old house and he coiled around it. There were so many vines that they seemed to go on forever, the building made a cracking noise before being crushed like a tin can from the pressure. Instinctively the three travelers backed away as debris flew off from the explosion. Flowey then laughed hysterically. “Didn’t expect little old me to do that? Did ya? But I suppose you didn’t come to see my power.”

Frisk exchanged a look with Sans, this was not the Flowey they remembered but they kept calm. Sans started pulling Papyrus farther away from the plant monstrosity but Flowey only got closer to them. There were thousands of giant buttercups and Flowey’s face popped from one flower to another, all the while giggling. “Have you come to play with me too? The others are no fun.”

“You captured Alphys.” Frisk began; her voice was firm and calm. “You kidnapped Undyne, Toriel and probably Asgore too. Please Asriel, let them go. This is not you. Your real self, your Monster self would never hurt anyone. You were a pacifist before you died, before you became a lost soul. Those people are your friends, your family. What would Toriel say if she saw her son like this? It would break her heart. I know there is good in you. I’m begging you, let them go.”

Flowey’s expression wavered. The face on one of the flowers frowned as if trying to remember. “Maybe there was good in me…once. I broke the barrier and then you all went free. Everyone was free and all the Human souls disappeared. Then I was alone. You disappeared and never came back. I’ve been alone for eleven years! Eleven years in the darkness without as much as a visitor. You looked after my Mom and Dad but you completely forgot that I was even here!”

There was a sobbing noise coming from the plants. Even if Asriel could not shed a tear, his whimpering noises and angry cries sounded like complete devastation. The whole Underground shook as Asriel unleashed his power. It was just as Verdana the River Person described. The crying of a lost soul foretold disaster. “It’s…It’s not fair!” Asriel sobbed. “I wanted a happy ending too! Everyone got to have a happy ending but me and I am so alone! I’m always alone.”

“What can we do?” Frisk said, backing away from the lost soul. “I don’t know how to help you.”

“I don’t need your help Human!” Asriel yelled, slowly becoming Flowey once more as his face started contorting back into the flower’s evil glare. The vines reared up and the flower stared at Frisk menacingly. “With that scientist I will create a new body! Plants die too easily, bodies die too easily. I want a body that can contain me and won’t die. The robot…Mettaton, I want a body like his! I’ll force Alphys to make me a robot body. She won’t leave her lab till she does that.”  
Frisk nodded and smiled. “Alphys and the others are probably at the Lab in Hotland! Let’s go!”

Sans grabbed onto Papyrus, teleporting them out of the ruins towards Hotland but Flowey was fast. His vines reached out and slammed towards the Skeletons but Frisk managed to distract Flowey by teleporting away too. First she teleported to one side of Flowey and then to the other, all the while dodging the vines that were slamming towards her. They missed her by mere inches. The young woman had gotten better with practice; teleporting was not as hard because there was only one desire in her mind. To keep Sans and Papyrus safe, she must protect them. There was a deafening roar, Flowey was furious. Little bullets were summoned as he prepared to attack but this time, unlike when she was a child, Frisk was ready. She conjured her own magic and the red bolts appeared one after another in her hand. She focused on trying to cut the plant down to size but with every bolt slicing a vine, two more grew in its place. It soon became a hurried pattern of jumping, dodging and throwing bolts but nothing seemed to lessen his HP.

Realizing that she was going to die if she didn’t get away soon, Frisk teleported to Hotland. Despite being far away from the Ruins, Flowey was here too and he was attacking Sans and Papyrus. The lost soul told the truth, he really was everywhere. Considering he no longer had the six Human souls in his possession, he was surprisingly strong. He was attacking without mercy, using every bit of plant life he could find to attack the Skeletons who stood outside of the Lab.

Bullets rained down on Sans and Papyrus and while they narrowly avoided the attack it was obvious that they were getting tired. In Hotland there were fewer plants to possess but somehow Flowey commanded sharp thorny bushes that blocked the entrance of the Lab. Frisk teleported closer and used her magic to destroy the plant barriers. Sans grinned happily when he saw Frisk by his side. “How nice of ya to pop in, Frisky! I think we could use some help with weed control. Things are gettin’ a little overgrown over here, if ya catch my drift.”

“Of course, sorry it took so long!” Frisk said, panting with exhaustion. “I forgot how powerful Asriel is when he is in his Flowey form. It’s hard to believe he once was a sweet little Monster.” As she said those words, Papyrus came forward with his bone attacks and shot them towards the approaching thorny bushes forcing them to stay away. His blue attacks made a barrier but because plants were neither Monster nor Human, it did not stop them. Being a lost soul meant Asriel was not affected by critical hits. Every time a plant was sliced up or obliterated, another plant took its place. Finally Papyrus gestured towards the Lab’s doors. A path had been cleared.

The three of them ran inside and slammed shut the door behind them. Then they waited but surprisingly it had gone quiet. The plants seemed to recede back into the shadows and the silence returned. Frisk retrieved her flashlight from her backpack and turned it back on as they walked in the empty hallways of the lab. In the wake of knowing the horrors that had happened here in the past, the Lab felt almost creepy now. “Hello?” Frisk called out. “Is anybody here?”

“UNDYNE! ALPHYS! TORIEL! KING ASGORE!” Papyrus yelled into the darkness. “WE ARE HERE TO RESCUE YOU. PLEASE TELL US WHERE YOU ARE SO WE CAN ESCAPE! DO NOT BE AFRAID FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS COME BEARING GIFTS!”

“Frisk? Sans? Papyrus?” A familiar voice asked confused. “What are you guys doing here?”

This was not the Monster they expected but Frisk recognized him. She used to visit him all the time in the Underground when she was just a little kid, now he lived in the suburbs of Newer Home. Frisk smiled reassuringly. “We are here to rescue you and everyone else.” She explained.


	8. Chapter 8

“Flowey hates you.” The Monster wondered. “He complains about you three all the time. Why would he take you?” Stepping out of the shadows, he blinked into the flashlight and Frisk was stunned to recognize him, it was the Nice Cream Guy. The rabbit Monster looked a little shaken and bruised but other than that, he was fine. “Are you really here to rescue us? It’s been so long.”

Papyrus stepped forward proudly. “YES, WE ALL ARE ON A RESCUE MISSION! HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED MR NICE CREAM GUY? I WAS NOT EXPECTING SO MANY KIDNAPPED MONSTERS BUT I HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IF YOU NEED TO REPLENISH YOUR HP. THOUGH I SUPPOSE YOU PROBABLY HAVE NICE CREAMS TO DO THAT.”

“It’s nice to see you Papyrus.” Nice Cream Guy said with a smile. “Though please, call me Benjamin. My name is Benjamin BunnBunn; you’ve known me for years! Since I ran out of nice creams, the title is hardly fitting, isn’t it? I’m doing okay but the others are not feeling too good.”

Papyrus pointed towards his backpack with all the food in it. “IF YOU WILL PLEASE SHOW ME WHERE THE OTHERS ARE HIDING, WE CAN REPLENISH THEIR HP AT ONCE!”

The Nice Cream Guy grinned. “Of course, just follow me. Alphys is in the basement looking over Mettaton’s old blue prints. Flowey is forcing us to stay here until a new robot body can be built to replace the organic with metallic flesh. Heh, it’s kind of weird but I’m just going with it.”

Sans studied their companion in confusion. “You were never close to Asriel; you weren’t even born when he was alive. Why are you here? His parents and Doctor Alphys I understand. Undyne was taken because she was in the way. Why would Flowey get his roots in a bunch over you? A Monster that sells nice cream is hardly useful. I mean no offense but I don’t really get it. Are you a secret scientist or somethin’?”

Benjamin chuckled at the very idea. “Nah, I just sell nice creams. I guess even murderous plant Monsters get hungry now and again. He can’t really eat it but he says when he gets his new body, he wants to have a nice cream as his first meal in a century. He acted just like a little kid!”

Frisk looked cheered up by the thought. “That’s good news!” She exclaimed. “Maybe Asriel is not so far removed from his original self. If he still is acting like a kid when it comes to nice creams, maybe there’s hope for him yet. I do like his idea of a robot body but what he’s going about it the wrong way. Forcing others to help you always backfires because people resent you.”

“I already resent him.” Sans grumbled irritably. “He’s given us all a bad time down here. I still think he’s just bored and wants to mess with us. We should have never come down here. Doctor Alphys and Undyne should have left this place well alone.” 

Following Benjamin into the basement of the Lab, Frisk noticed that the room was more crowded. When she saw Toriel and Asgore, the young woman ran over to give them each a hug. Toriel was crying openly with relief and despite being injured from a previous fight, Asgore looked just as thrilled. “Father, I thought you were safe at home.” Frisk said. “What happened?”

Asgore sighed. “I waited for Toriel but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that she was probably in trouble and that Asriel was to blame. All that talk of lost souls…I didn’t want to think about it but you and Sans were right. I went to Mount Ebbot to investigate but was caught.”

Toriel wrapped her arms around Asgore’s affectionately. “If what you say is true, then our son, our Asriel was what brought us to this place. He’s alive! He may be in his Flowey form but my son is alive and now we have a chance to help him. He was the one that opened the barrier and freed us. I know that he’s not lost. We have a way to save him and Doctor Alphys can help us.”

“I guess things are looking up for ya! I know how hard it’s been.” Sans said to Toriel cheerfully, he walked over to the group. Despite his tone, Sans looked uneasy. His smile seemed tense and he was fidgeting. The goat woman studied him in confusion. Frisk became worried too. “What seems to be the matter, my friend?” Toriel gently wondered.

“Are ya mad that Asgore didn’t tell ya about Flowey?” Sans asked, finally. “As someone who recently dealt with lying to a loved one to save feelings, I think you should give the King a break. He didn’t want to hurt ya, he wanted to keep your heart from breaking all over again. Especially, since you’ve been through so much.”

Toriel glanced at Asgore and sighed. “No…I am not mad. How could I be mad when my son is alive? Even if he is in this horrible state, it just shows how much he has suffered. How could I have not noticed? I feel guilty that I never recognized Flowey was Asriel. My poor child! I saw him all the time in the ruins. I assumed he was hunting for fallen Humans but when I look back, I realize that he must have missed his mother. I remember him watching me and looking so sad.” Tears welled up in Toriel’s eyes and Frisk hugged her again. Asgore walked to where Alphys and Undyne sat, noticing that the Monster scientist was hunched over and looking very worried. 

“I…I don’t know if saving Asriel is possible.” Doctor Alphys wavered. “I…mean…it looks like it could work and it worked when I transferred Happstablook into his new Mettaton body but that was different. Mettaton is not just a robot, he is a Monster with a soul who just so happens to be infused with the wiring of a robot. He can do more than move and talk; he can taste food and feel emotions. He can have hopes and dreams. His soul is whole; Asriel’s soul is in tiny pieces.”

“You also didn’t think it was possible to fuse his soul with a plant.” Asgore pointed out. “That worked and you did that before you created Mettaton’s body. It shouldn’t be very different. What if we put those tiny pieces and put them into a robot? Find the part of the plant that absorbed the most of Asriel’s dusted soul and use that? The robot could be wired to compensate for the inadequacies of a shattered soul. Magic’s not really a substitute, so the process won’t be exact.”

Alphys put her hands up in the air. “Of course it won’t be exact! It’s like you expect me to bake a cake without all of the ingredients! This could destroy the remnants of what remains of Asriel.”

There was a pause but Toriel went over to Alphys. “Please…” She begged. “I’ve already lost my child once. If what Asgore says is true, then Asriel is becoming desperate. His determination seems to be coming from his desire to be free from his plant hosts. If he thinks having a new body is impossible, he’ll lose that determination and his spirit could fade away into dust again.”

Alphys anxiously started pacing back and forth; finally she gave a long frustrated sigh of defeat. “Fine…I…I’ll do my best. I won’t make any promises that this will work or that Asriel as you remember him will be exactly the same but I’ll try to preserve what is left of his soul. Maybe if I convert the Human soul extractor and wire it to extract Monster souls…it might be possible.”

Toriel and Asgore were about to add their opinions on the matter but Undyne blocked their way. She bared her teeth at them threateningly, a blue spear in hand. She wasn’t about to attack the Monster King or his wife but she was not willing to let them bully her girlfriend either. “Give Alphys some space!” Undyne ordered. “She’s under enough pressure as it is without guilt too.”

Surprised, Asgore and Toriel backed off. They went back to chat with Frisk who obviously wanted an update. It seemed that everyone wanted an update because everyone wanted to leave the Underground once and for all. Undyne sat near Alphys and watched her work. The lizard Monster was flustered, she drew ideas for a new body and scraped ideas that wouldn’t work. The scraped pile of failed ideas was growing. Alphys was actually having a mild panic attack over it. “I can’t do it! I just can’t do it.” Alphys cried. “I’m only a Monster, not some miracle worker.”

Undyne went over and put her hand comfortingly on Alphys’ shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll get through this. I believe in you Alphys. You are more than just a Monster, you are a genius.” Undyne kissed Alphys tenderly and left to stand guard, daring anybody to come closer and ask when the robot will be complete. No one did. Despite what anybody would have thought, Undyne out of everyone felt the most responsible for this mess. She knew that if she had prevented Alphys from going into the Underground, none of this would have happened. Flowey only captured them because they had wandered into his territory. At least, that was how it felt.

Giving a sigh, Undyne watched the others talk and discuss the situation. Would they ever return to the surface again? Would she ever get to swim in the ocean or to chill at home again? Would Flowey kill them if he got what he wanted or would he just kill them if Alphys failed in her task? She looked at her girlfriend and frowned. They would get out or they would die trying to escape. There were no other options and their chance of freedom hindered on creating a genuine miracle.


	9. Chapter 9

“I knew this was a bad idea.” Sans muttered, leaning against a wall. “I just didn’t realize how bad it really was. Kidnapped Monsters, lost souls and trying to give a formerly dead Monster child a robot body. It sounds like something out of a horror story.”

Frisk and Sans stood near the far end of the lab. There were small windows near the entrance and it was the only clue to what Flowey was up to. Hotland seemed empty…at least until another thorny vine snaked its way across the ground. Flowey was waiting and he was guarding the door so that no one could escape. “He doesn’t have to eat or sleep” Frisk commented. “He could be there until the Underground collapsed and he’d still probably insist on having a new robot body.”

“We’re gonna have to find another way out Frisky.” Sans said sternly. “I know ya feel sorry for Asriel but there’s nothing we can do. His soul is shattered and he’s insane. He literally has a split personality, can’t ya see that? Creating a robot like Mettaton was unprecedented but he was already a Monster with a whole soul. It can’t be done for the Prince. It’s a sad truth but once Asriel realizes we can’t help him, he will kill us all then fade into dust when his determination in finally gone.”

The young woman frowned, “I suppose we can’t teleport people up to the surface …can we?”

“Nope, the Human magicians made sure that the only way out of the Underground is through the Mount Ebbot’s cave.” Sans explained. “The barrier’s gone but the magic interference that prevented teleporting to the surface still lingers. The best we can do is teleport to the area where the barrier used to be. Once there, we’d have to deal with Flowey. It will be slow going and we would have to make a few trips.”

“If Asriel is aware of what we do anywhere in the Underground, he’d stop us before we can get everyone out.” Frisk agreed. “We would have no time to rest and large scale teleportation magic is not easy. If we get hurt, we’d have no time to stop and eat some food to replenish our HP.”

Sans frowned and he anxiously started pacing. “My HP was raised by my nap but it’s not a permanent thing. I currently have 10 more HP then normal but if attacked, I’ll be back down to 1 HP. Flowey is strong and I will be vulnerable if I can’t heal up fast.”

“There has to be something we can do!” Frisk grumbled irritably. “I refuse to stay here and wait till Flowey attacks again. Maybe I can buy us some time and reason with him. Let him know that while Alphys is going to try to build him a robot body, there are no guarantees and that he shouldn’t blame us if the impossible doesn’t happen. I know that Asriel still exists in Flowey!”

Before Sans could stop her, Frisk had opened the Lab’s door and started looking around. “Asriel! Asriel! I want to talk to you! Please come here. I promise I won’t attack you. Just please don’t attack me! Can’t we just have a conversation? It’s about your body! It’s important we talk.” The young woman waited and sure enough, the plant life in Hotland started moving. There was a rustling noise like a snake slithering across the dirt strewn path. Flowey coiled up and looked at Frisk with beady suspicious eyes. “Well? What is it? I’m listening.” He said in an irritated voice.

“I just…” Frisk stumbled over the words, feeling nervous. She took a deep breath, willing her determination. “I just was wondering why you can’t just stay in your plant body and come to the surface? Surely you could access the roots of the above ground plants? Do you really need a robot body? It will take much longer and I would think you’d want to leave as soon as possible.”

Flowey blinked at her. “I can’t leave the Underground. I’ve tried. My roots are tied to the ground. I can spread runners and vines, I can manipulate the plants around me but I cannot do much more than that. Lost souls like myself are powerful but I cannot be anywhere without a host body. I am chained to these plants. My determination is not what it used to be and over the years it has slowly dwindled. I am determined to leave but I cannot wait around forever. I…I take no pleasure in kidnapping you all but it is the only way. You would ignore me otherwise.” 

“I never wanted to ignore you…I” Frisk began but Flowey interrupted.

“Lies! You are full of lies!” The lost soul hissed angrily. “Everyone abandons me. Even the six Human souls I stole abandoned me! Chara abandoned me because they wanted to die all along. I was tricked my best friend! I absorbed Chara’s soul and the Humans attacked me because I escaped the Underground. They assumed that because I absorbed Chara’s soul, I was a murderer! Chara gave me the Human soul, so I could be free. I was killed by the Humans and for some stroke of luck I came back because of Father and Doctor Alphys. Why did Chara have to die?”

Asriel sobbed loudly, unable to cry tears but his pain was known. The whole Underground was shaking violently in an earthquake. Rocks started tumbling and lava sloshed in the pools below. Suddenly Frisk heard something behind her. Sans pulled her back and Alphys came running forward with the soul extractor gun. There was a flash of light and Asriel was gone. The plants that the lost soul had possessed withered instantly and there was heavy panting from Alphys.

“I…I…I think…that…did it.” Alphys straightened up, holding the soul extractor gun in hand.

“Frisk what were ya thinking?” Sans chided angrily. “Ya could have been killed!”

The young woman huffed stubbornly. “I was trying to make Asriel see reason! How else were we to escape peacefully? I didn’t want to hurt him. He was in pain and I wanted to comfort him.” Sans gently touched her forehead. Blood was dripping from where rocks had cut her. The earthquake that the lost soul created had nearly given her a concussion from the falling rocks but Frisk was too preoccupied to notice. Frisk was staring listlessly at the soul gun that Alphys held.

“Is Asriel gone? Did you destroy him?” Frisk asked softly. Her eyes were close to tears.

Alphys violently shook her head. “No! No! The remnants of Asriel’s soul are safe inside this canister. I…I had no choice. I need…I need to study the remains of his soul and this was the only way. Sans told me what happened and what you were trying to do. He wanted to save you from being killed. Lost souls like Flowey cannot be reasoned with. I…I had just about given up on preserving his soul in a robot but I realized that Flowey is a unique case because of his history.”

Frisk was confused, she looked at Sans and then Alphys. “What do you mean?”

“Humans naturally have a substance called determination.” Alphys explained. “Some Humans have more than others but determination is what allows you to keep fighting even after you’ve been gravely injured or even killed. Monsters have small amounts of determination but because we are primarily made of magic, determination is limited because our bodies cannot sustain it.” The group started walking back to the Lab, Frisk walking close beside Alphys as she went on. “When I managed to bring Asriel back to life, I was only able to use organic bodies without a soul to house him in. Plants were the only option. This was before I created Mettaton’s body. I inserted determination into Asriel’s soul and put the pieces on a flower. It worked but Asriel was not himself. Flowey attacked me the moment his eyes opened. If Asgore wasn’t there, I’d be dead. I was never a fighter. After that, I wanted to see what I did wrong so I repeated the experiment. Maybe I added too much determination? Too little determination? I had to try.”

Alphys got out charts, showing pictures of amalgamates with names of the soul and graph models. Frisk was feeling overwhelmed but she remembered seeing all the creepy amalgamates. “After Asriel, I tried inserting different levels of determination into recently fallen Monsters but they all turned out the same. Their bodies could not handle the determination so they melted together. I tried again and again but nothing was close to Asriel’s success. He was a lost soul but at least he was reasonably intact. Then after talking with Asgore I realized it was because he had absorbed a Human soul before he died. Chara’s soul fused with his and he was able to handle the determination. His anger at what happened caused him to lash out uncontrollably. His true self was damaged but he was still Asriel. That was how you were able to talk him down years ago.”

Sans nodded, smiling gently. “Chara’s soul must have been with him when he stole those six Human souls eleven years ago. Six souls wouldn’t have done it. They wouldn’t have broken the barrier but because Chara’s soul was still inside Asriel, Chara became the seventh soul. After all that horrible history, they were heroes.” 

“Is Chara still in Asriel?” Frisk said after a moment. It was a lot to take in but she was trying to keep up. “He said that Chara was gone. That they disappeared with the other six Human souls.”

Alphys nodded sadly. “I believe Chara left years ago. That could explain why Flowey has gotten more unstable when we went up to the surface. He was always violent but to have mood swings and ideas of kidnapping, instead of killing, I think his determination was wearing off. Any longer without Chara to help hold the determination, Asriel would have turned to dust and no one would have been the wiser. I think he was becoming desperate but…maybe there is a way to save him.”


	10. Chapter 10

“Interesting…I have never seen anything like this.” Alphys said, huddled over a microscope.

Toriel exchanged a look with Asgore. “What? What’s interesting? Is my little boy alright? Are you able to save my child? You’ve been looking through that microscope for fifteen minutes!” 

Alphys looked up, blushing in embarrassment. “Right…I’m sorry but I…well it’s hard to explain. See when I first looked at Asriel’s soul particles over seventy years ago, they were much smaller and glowing red. I assumed the red glow was because I had injected it with determination but the others did not have the same reaction. Now that I know that Asriel's soul fused with Chara's it makes sense. The red glow is gone because Chara's soul is no longer with Asriel's and looking at the soul now, it looks nearly whole. The pieces actually look like they are starting to fuse back together. It is incredible! A real miracle!”

Toriel was silent in shock. Asgore’s eyes widened. “How is that even possible?” He wondered.

“Determination gives life but unfortunately it causes amalgamates." Alphys explained. "Any time I injected the fallen souls with determination, the bodies of the Monsters melted into one another almost instantly. However, Asriel's case was different. Humans naturally can hold determination and since Chara's soul was there for a long time, it gave Asriel a chance to use that contained determination to heal, thus slowly merging his soul into its original shape. Already I can see evidence that it can be whole again but since Chara left, Asriel can no longer hold onto the determination he had once been given. Without the Human souls to give him form, he had to continue possessing plants but that was only a temporary solution. Being left in the Underground without doses of determination, he would have been in big trouble. Even an amalgamate will return to dust if they are not given determination shots. Any longer, Asriel would have become dust once again. Perhaps that's why he caused all this trouble in the first place, Asriel was angry and terrified. He must have instinctively acted to save himself just in time by bringing us here."

Toriel looked at the canister that held her son’s soul. It glowed with a soft white light, the particles floating close to each other in the middle. If it wasn’t for the pulsing of energy, one could assume it was nothing but remnants. Captured souls always moved in a certain way as if they were mimicking a heartbeat. Toriel ran her hand gently along the smooth glass cylinder. “My baby boy…my little child…you are trying to come back to me.” Toriel murmured quietly.

Asgore wiped a tear from his eye, feeling a bit of hope return. “Can you save our son? Can you give him a new body like you did for Mettaton? If his soul is nearly whole again, is it possible?”

Alphys sighed but gave him a reassuring smile. “I will do my best. Ariel is a special case, I have never seen a Monster soul in midst of repairing itself before. For the longest time, I had assumed that because he was violent and unrecognizable, Flowey was only the combination of determination and Asriel's lost soulless husk. That my attempt had failed but I was wrong. This will be entirely experimental but if I could build him a robotic body, one that could house his soul and hold onto the determination, much like Chara's soul did, I think that this could help Asriel finish healing his soul. Granted, he won't be his original self. Not completely. Asriel will never again be the innocent little Monster prince. Healing can cause scars, whether it is on the body or soul. Ariel has been through a lot. He will probably not be the son that you remember but he will be whole again, in a sense."

There was joy and wonder on Toriel’s face and on Asgore’s too. They had long ago given up hope that their child would ever be okay but being told that his soul would be whole again, it was unbelievable. Sans, Frisk, Papyrus, Undyne and the Nice Cream Guy were all brought in and briefed on what had happened. After being kidnapped by Flowey, Undyne was still suspicious but most were pleased that this was nearly over. That maybe a wrong could be righted at last.

“I suppose it’s foolish to hope that Chara…” Toriel said after a moment. 

She sadly looked down but Frisk came forward and placed her hand on her Mother’s shoulder. The Human gave a smile. “When I was talking with Asriel, he said that Chara had left with the other six Human souls. I think Chara and the other Human children are finally at peace.” Frisk explained gently. “Chara’s wish for the Monsters to be free finally came true and now there’s nothing left but to move on.” 

Toriel’s sad expression changed to a smile. “Chara is finally at peace.” She repeated. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear those words. My poor child was such an unhappy little thing. I wish I could have done something to have changed their fate but what Chara and Asriel did to free every Monster…there are no words for it. Asriel is alive and Chara has found peace at last.”

Suddenly Undyne came forward, her arms crossed. She had been waiting impatiently for Alphys to finish giving her lecture but she was getting real tired of being ignored. “So uh…I hate to break up this little celebration party but can we all go home now? I really don’t want to be in the Underground any longer if I can help it and I think the others are starting to feel the same way.” 

“Sans and I can each teleport you to the entrance.” Frisk offered as she held onto her Skeleton’s hand. “Just line up here and we can take turns teleporting everyone. The only drawback is that we can only take one passenger each at a time but it should not take too long. This was our backup plan if the robot plan failed and of course, if Flowey was still intent on killing us all.”

“It felt more like a backup to your backup plan.” Sans muttered. “You were all set on getting mercy from Flowey that you nearly got yourself killed by a conversation.” 

Frisk rolled her eyes, but couldn’t resist a smile. “I am okay now, aren’t I? My HP is healed and my cut has stopped bleeding. Honestly, I would have been okay. I fought Flowey once before.” Sans did not look convinced but the two started teleporting the Monsters. When Frisk was about to help Alphys, the lizard Monster looked reluctant. 

“I…I think I will stay down here. I need to finish building Asriel’s body. I did promise Asgore and Toriel that I would try. All my technical stuff is down here and I am safe now. There’s no need to return to Newer Home until it’s time.”

Frisk frowned. “Are you sure? It will take you longer to return to the surface if you walked there. Undyne won’t be happy that you wanted to stay behind. You’re not going to be here long, are you? I really don’t want to have to explain to your girlfriend why I didn’t take you back home.”

“I…I’ll be alright. Undyne is…well I think she will understand.” Alphys said confidently. “Besides, I’m only going to be down for a little while longer. I have a lot to think about before I go home and focus on the next big job ahead of me. Building a robot body can be difficult. There’s uh…a lot of blood, sweat and tears…mostly sweat involved. I want to plan this right.”

Nodding with understanding, Frisk gave Alphys a small wave before teleporting out of Hotland in a wave of red magic. Returning to the others, the Monsters and Frisk exited the cave for the last time and saw the sun had risen again. Another day was starting and the sun had never looked more beautiful than when one had been underground for so long. Sans gave a big sigh of relief.

“I’M SO GLAD TO BE SEEING THE SUN AGAIN.” Papyrus exclaimed, he grinned cheekily at Sans. “I TOLD YOU WE WOULD BE OKAY BROTHER. YOU WORRY TOO MUCH.”

Sans shrugged. “Eh…but can ya blame me? I’m not a pansy but even you have to admit that we got out by on pure luck. Now we can finally leaf the Underground for good!”

Papyrus glared at Sans, he crossed his arms in annoyance. Frisk however, started chuckling. She went over to the two Skeleton brothers and put her hand affectionately on Papyrus’ shoulder “Aww… come on Papyrus, lighten up! Sans must have been thinking of the right plant puns all night and those were pretty good.” Frisk said, she gave Sans a kiss and Papyrus rolled his eyes.

“I WILL NOT REWARD HIM FOR BAD JOKES.” Papyrus said sternly. “IT WILL ONLY ENCOURAGE HIM!” 

Yet despite his attitude, even Papyrus could not help but smile at his brother and Frisk. He started walking down the mountain with the others in tow. Frisk and Sans watched, admiring the sunrise and noticing the castle from the Human Kingdom in the far off distance.

“I wonder how long it will take my bro to realize I could have teleported him home.” Sans asked, watching the others with mild interest. “Usually he insists on taking shortcuts.”

Frisk smiled slyly. “Actually, I was the one who asked Papyrus if I could have some alone time with you. He agreed but mostly because he wanted to tell Undyne that Alphys planned to stay in the lab for a little while longer.” She explained. “Besides, we never really got to celebrate our anniversary. Between your mother’s visit, the lost soul, the earthquake, family members going missing and your fight with Papyrus, there were a lot of distractions! It’s been a busy few days.”

“Aww…Frisky, You just wanted to spend time alone with me? How cute!” Sans teased, he grinned and gave her a playful nudge. “It’s like ya have a crush on me or somethin’.”  
The young woman rolled her eyes. “I’m dating you, bonehead. Of course I have a crush on you!”

Sans laughed and Frisk joined in. They walked a little ways down the mountain, thinking about what they had just gone through. It really had been a crazy adventure. For a while there was silence then all of a sudden, Sans became serious. “Hey? Ya want to hear another joke?”

Frisk stopped and faced him, her eyes curious. “You know I would.” She said with a soft smile.

“What kind of flowers like to kiss?” He looked deep her in the eyes and played with her hair affectionately. He paused for a moment before giving the punchline. “Tulips! Just like these two lips that I see right here.” Sans bent down and gave her a gentle kiss before teleporting them both back to Newer Home in a wave of blue magic. Frisk kissed him back and they stayed that way for a few long moments, nobody being home yet to disturb their peace. It was one of the pleasant perks of teleporting, now they had a whole hour to themselves at last.


	11. Chapter 11

“Before you get your hopes up Papyrus,” Sans warned. “Be aware that Verdana is not the kind of Monster who likes to attend parties and social gatherings. The River Person has always been very aloof and just because they are technically our Mom, it does not mean we are suddenly going to be given any kind of parental affection.”

Sans was following Papyrus close at hand but his brother was already almost at the river. The River Person had a few stops along the riverbank where passengers could board the boat or get off it. Just like a bus stop, there was a certain time that Verdana would be there and when they would leave. Papyrus had memorized the schedule and had planned for this meeting all week.

“HAVE FAITH BROTHER.” Papyrus said, walking even faster. “MOM DOES CARE ABOUT US AND AFTER ALL, IF IT WASN’T FOR SOME SORT OF PARENTAL AFFECTION, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WARNED ABOUT THE FORGOTTEN LOST SOUL OF ASRIEL. JUST BECAUSE THE RIVER PERSON IS NOT VERY GOOD AT SHOWING MOTHERLY LOVE AND CONCERN, IT DOESN’T MEAN THERE IS NO LOVE AT ALL!”

Trying not to be skeptical when they arrived at the first stop, Sans smiled for Papyrus’ sake. He did not like the idea of making nice with the mother who abandoned them. He still had deep seated resentments and anger but because this meant so much to his brother, Sans went along. Frisk had given him the idea in the first place. Just because you disagree with your family member, it does not give you the permission to be a jerk whose purpose is to crush their hope. Still, as they stood by the riverbank Sans started thinking of all the places he wanted to be other than here. They did not have to wait long. Soon Verdana’s boat was approaching towards them.

“My sons” The River Person murmured. “This is a surprise. Where do you wish to go today?”

“HI MOM!” Papyrus said happily, he was bursting with excitement. “WE CAME HERE WITH GOOD NEWS. WE WISH TO INVITE YOU TO THE DREEMURR’S HOUSE FOR A CELEBRATION PARTY. WITH THE LOST SOUL NOW FOUND, ASRIEL’S ROBOT BODY IS NEARING COMPLETION AND SOON THE PRINCE WILL RETURN! WOULD YOU COME WITH US? YOU HELPED US START OUR JOURNEY AND YOU WARNED US JUST IN TIME. WE WOULD REALLY LIKE YOU TO COME CELEBRATE WITH US.”

The River Person stared mutely at the display, completely stunned at they looked from Sans to Papyrus and back to Sans. Whatever they had expected from this encounter, this was not it. “What do you think Sans?” Verdana finally asked. “Do you want me to come? I know that you hate me and that my attendance would only trouble you. I don’t want to bother you further.”

Sans was taken aback by his mother’s bluntness. He had gone along for Papyrus’ sake but now it seemed that Verdana’s attendance depended on him. He looked at his brother’s hopeful face. There was no way he could speak his mind without hurting Papyrus. Finally he gave a long sigh. “If you want to come, come.” Sans said with reluctance. “It doesn’t matter to me one way or another. Papyrus would be thrilled by your attendance and I…tibia honest I’m still angry but I won’t let you rattle my bones anymore. It’s just not worth it.”

“PLEASE COME, MOM.” Papyrus begged. “I HAVE SO MUCH I WANT TO TELL YOU AND I NEVER REALLY GOT TO SPEAK WITH YOU THE LAST TIME WE HAD MET.”

For the first time in a long time, Verdana smiled. “I will think about it. I have a few more rounds to make and people are expecting my services. If I finish early, I might make an appearance." With that, Verdana waved to the two Skeleton brothers and pushed her boat back into the river. The boat flowed upstream towards the mountains, propelled by magic and the River Person’s careful hand as they steered the vessel. There was silence for a while, the only sound being the water lapping gently on the shore. Despite its size, the boat had hardly caused ripples in the river.

“I THINK THAT WENT VERY WELL!” Papyrus said proudly. “WE BETTER HURRY BACK TO NEWER HOME SANS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS PARTY IS A SUCCESS SO THAT MOM WILL WANT TO COME BACK TO VISIT US AGAIN. CAN WE TAKE A SHORTCUT SO TO SAVE TIME? I ADMIT I’M TIRED AFTER THAT LONG JOG HERE.”

Sans rolled his eyes. “If we had just teleported to the river in the first place, you wouldn’t be so tired. I’m exhausted just from chasing after ya and ya know how much I hate walking. This is why you think things through instead of rushin’ off.”

Papyrus just looked expectantly at Sans and his brother grumbled. “Alright, hold my hand.”

In a wave of blue magic, Sans and Papyrus teleported to the Dreemur house where Frisk was helping Toriel put up streamers. A big banner hung across the door reading; “Welcome Home!” Monsters were everywhere and it seemed as if the entire population of Newer Home and its surrounding communities were there. Frisk waved to the Skeleton brothers when she saw them appear. She nearly lost her balance on the stool and Toriel scolded her, “Be careful my child! I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Watch where you stand and make sure those streamers are hanging up correctly! I don’t want Asriel’s party to have any halfhearted crooked decorations.”

Frisk huffed, straining to reach higher. “Yes Mother! Just give me a second.”

Attaching the streamers to highest point of the wall, Frisk finally jumped down and dusted the glitter off her hands. Toriel had been an absolute mess trying to make everything perfect for her son’s return. Even if he wasn’t going to be the son she remembered, Alphys had said that the robot was ready and that Asriel was conscious. Apparently he had been asking for his mother. When Toriel heard that, she decided to throw a party. Frisk went to Sans and Papyrus, she was bursting with curiosity. “So? What happened?” She asked. “Did your mom agree to come?”

Sans shrugged. “Eh…probably? Maybe, I don’t know? The River Person gave us a vague answer and for some reason, my opinion on the matter was asked even though it was obvious that Papyrus was the one who wanted them to come in the first place.”

“MOM WILL COME!” Papyrus said confidently. “I AM SURE OF IT. WE ARE GOING TO FINALLY LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND US AND START OVER. WE WILL BE A TRUE FAMILY AGAIN! WHEN THEY FINISH WORK, MOM WILL COME TO THE PARTY.”

Papyrus walked to the kitchen to grab some punch, smiling cheerfully. He was already searching out Undyne and telling her the good news. The more confident he felt, the more Sans was becoming nervous about the disappointment that was going to come. Verdana hated being around large crowds of people, even when they lived together, so why would their mom want to come? It’s not like their sons’ interests ever mattered to the always enigmatic River Person. Sans clenched his hands together, so lost in thought that he didn’t notice that Frisk put her hand on his.

“Hey…it will be alright.” Frisk told him gently. “Whatever happens, Papyrus needs to figure this out for himself. You can’t protect him forever. If your brother wants to get to know his mom, it’s better to let him try. The best thing we can do is be there for him if his heart gets broken again.”

Sans looked at Frisk with a sad smile. “I know I can’t always protect him but it’s hard.”

Suddenly Asgore’s voice rang out. “Everyone! Alphys is here and she brought Asriel!” The Monsters all crammed closer to see that sure enough, Alphys was leading a new robot. This robot was smaller than Mettaton and different from what they expected. Asriel looked almost normal.


	12. Chapter 12

Toriel broke through the crowd to meet Alphys and to see Asriel for the first time. “Give him space!” She scolded a few Monsters who followed. “My son has been through a terrible ordeal!” Robot Asriel blinked around in confusion. He was smooth silver with a glowing white center. His face resembled his former face but it was altered to appear older. He had horns just like Asgore’s and his eyes were the only evidence of his true soul. Walking appeared to be difficult, Alphys was helping him along and he looked unsure by the crowd of Monsters that were staring.

“Asriel? How do you feel?” Toriel asked hesitatingly.

“I…I don’t know.” Asriel said uncertainly. “I feel kind of weird. It’s almost as if I was having a really bad nightmare, it was so scary and so lonely…then I…I woke up. Was I a flower once?” Toriel bent down and gave her son a hug. Tears were in her eyes as she started sobbing. “You were a flower but now you are here and you are safe my child. My darling Asriel, you are here. You have no idea how happy I am. I thought you were lost and that I’d never see you again.”

Asgore walked over and smiled, tears were in his eyes too. Frisk smiled, holding Sans’ hand as they came closer and Papyrus was positively beaming. Asriel looked from his mother to the smiling faces, seeing them again was sparking a memory but he looked unsure of what it was. Finally, when he looked at Frisk he made a gasping noise. “Frisk! I remember you. I hurt you.” Frisk was silent but Asriel; despite his robot form looked upset. “I…I don’t know what is real or a dream…but I…I can remember attacking you. I tried killing you over and over but you came back. I do not know why I did it but I am so sorry Frisk. You were always so nice to me and all I could think about was making you suffer. I hated Humans and I had wanted to steal your soul.”

“You did try to kill me and steal my soul.” Frisk admitted quietly. “When I first fell into the Underground, I met Flowey. I met you when you were a lost soul possessing a giant buttercup. I didn’t understand like I do now. I forgive you Asriel. You weren’t yourself and knowing what I know now, I understand and I know you couldn’t help it. You are saved and you are not alone.” Asriel hesitatingly walked closer, unsure on his new legs and he reached out for Frisk. The young woman hugged the robot and for a moment, until a new voice spoke up. It was Benjamin BunBunn, the Nice Cream Guy. He had brought out his cart and held out a treat to the little robot. Despite being kidnapped earlier, the Nice Cream Guy didn’t look bothered; he smiled with amusement at the obvious surprise. “So, Asriel I remember you had wanted some nice creams as your first meal in your new body? Do you still want a nice cream now? I have many flavors.”

Asriel glanced at Alphys, unsure of the limits of his new body. “Can I eat nice creams?” He asked, his voice full of hopeful anticipation. “You said once my soul adjusted I could eat again.”

“I…I don’t see the harm.” Alphys said, smiling. “Just…just go slow and do not eat too much.”

Giving a shout of joy, Asriel ate a chocolate nice cream. The magical treat made the robot boy smile and he giggled in happiness. Asgore and Toriel joined him and they had some nice creams too. Frisk studied the new and improved Asriel, smiling as she recalled that this once was Flowey, a tormented lost soul who was alone in the underground possessing plant life. Was this really the same Monster? The same Monster who tried to kill her? The truth was, he was and he wasn’t. Asriel had been both villain and victim. He had been the tormentor and the tormented. But was he really that different? Asgore had become a villain when he had killed the Human children to gain their souls in hopes of achieving freedom. Yet Asgore had also been a victim because his two children were killed and he was trapped by the Humans who had hated his kind and wanted every Monster to suffer. Was Asgore any different than Asriel? Anybody had the opportunity to do bad things if bad circumstances arose, Frisk knew even she was capable of it.

She chose to be good and fortunately, nothing had driven her to do evil things. The Monsters could have been cruel when she fell down as a child. Frisk knew that she could have been forced to kill them in order to survive but despite everything, they taught her only mercy and pacifism. 

“Have I come too late?” A morose voice said behind her. Frisk turned and saw Verdana there.

Verdana the Skeleton looked awkward as she watched what was going on. All this hugging and laughing, all the Monsters running around jubilee made her uneasy but she was there all the same. Sans looked at her in surprise, Papyrus looked absolutely thrilled and ran up to meet her. “YOU’VE COME JUST IN TIME!” Papyrus exclaimed, “COME AND MEET MY FRIENDS. THIS IS HIS MAJESTY KING ASGORE, TORIEL IS OVER THERE, AND THEN THERE’S ASRIEL, THE FORMERLY LOST SOUL AND…”

Papyrus held onto his mother’s hand and dragged her around the party. He introduced her to everyone he knew and despite the River Person’s awkward and shy demeanor, even they couldn’t help but smile at how easily Papyrus accepted them again. Sans and Frisk watched with amazement. “The River Person made an appearance.” Sans said with disbelief. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe…Verdana is trying to be a mom after all. That’s gotta be a first.”

Frisk gently bumped her shoulder with his. “Sometimes you just have to keep trying. Besides, now that you two are grown up, there’s less pressure and perhaps that makes it easier to start over. It is so easy to hold grudges and so much harder to forgive. I know you hate what the River Person did to you and Papyrus but look at your brother! He’s willing to get to know Verdana despite know the history of what happened. He is just happy that his mom is here with him now.”

“Yah...my bro’s the greatest.” Sans said proudly. “He may be younger than me but I really do look up to him. I just wish that I could be as cool and confident as he is.”

“Why don’t you go over there and chat with them?” Frisk said smiling. “I know you want too.”

Sans looked unsure, Papyrus was telling a story and Verdana was smiling kindly. They seemed to be having a good time and Sans didn’t want to ruin the mood. He wasn’t sure that his mom would like what he had to say. He wasn’t Papyrus. He wasn’t always happy and his own cynicism could make people not always like him. Frisk however, was not letting him be a coward. She gently gave him a nudge. “Break the ice like you normally do. Just tell your mom a joke and smile!” Frisk said stubbornly. Sans faltered a bit but he obeyed and smiled nervously. Frisk watched them for a moment. Verdana and Sans were talking quietly for a moment, then all of a sudden the River Person started laughing. She had never known the quiet River Person to do anything more than smile but to see Sans making his mom laugh, it filled her heart with warmth.

“I knew you could do it Sans!” Frisk cheered quietly.

The young woman smiled proudly at the two brothers who were reunited with their mom at last. It seemed that Sans was becoming more confident as time went on and if Papyrus’s annoyance was anything to go by, Verdana might just be a pun lover too. It figures. Frisk laughed to herself. Going over to chat with Toriel and Asriel, it seemed things were going well. Asriel still had trouble moving but he was getting the hang of his robot body. Toriel hovered over her son, asking him questions and checking to see if he was alright. “My child, are you sure you don’t need to sit down? Are you tired? Should I get Alphys? Do you need anything? Anything at all?”

“I‘ve already told you! I am fine.” Asriel insisted. The robot boy pushed his mother’s hand away and when he saw Frisk, his eyes lit up. “Mom, I am going to go over and talk to my friend!” Before Toriel could answer, Asriel stumbled towards Frisk. “I never realized how loud everything is.” He commented, looking around at the crowd of Monsters. “Being alone in the Underground, it was just me but up here, there’s so many Monsters all wanting to know if I’m alright. I…I’m not really used to it. Is it okay if we chat for a little while? Mom’s been following my every move, ready to get Alphys if I so much as fall.”

Frisk smiled sympathetically. “Mother loves you. Once the newness of your return wares off, I’m sure she will go back to normal. Toriel was overprotective of me too when I was a little kid.”

Asriel huffed indignantly. “But I’m not a little kid. Technically I am 82 years old!”

“Aw…don’t take it so personally.” The young woman said comfortingly. “You are much loved.”

The robot boy didn’t look convinced. Suddenly Sans came running over to them, his face was blue with embarrassment and he looked almost panic stricken. “Verdana hasn’t talked with ya about anything…have they?” He asked Frisk, “If they want to talk, ignore them.”

Frisk frowned, “What do you mean? Does your mom not like me?”

Sans stopped and awkwardly rubbed the back of his skull. “No but…the River Person kept on calling you their future daughter-in-law. Whenever I mentioned ya, mom would have this smile on their face and they started questioning me on our relationship!”

Frisk raised her eyebrow and tried to conceal her glee. “Oh…and what did you tell your mom?”

“I told her we were not there yet…gettin’ married…I mean. That we’ve only been datin’ for a year and that we are nowhere close to do somethin’ like that! Now she’s convinced that I’m just being afraid and…” Sans said, awkwardly fumbling with his words. “If my mom asks, the best thing to do is just avoid the question like I did.”

Frisk gave Sans a pointed look, causing the Skeleton to sweat nervously. “So you’re saying you don’t want to marry me someday? Is that what you are trying to tell me? That if your mom asks about our relationship I should say we’re not serious and that we are just having a good time?”

Now Sans was panicking. “I didn’t mean it like that Frisky!”

“Hey…it’s okay.” Frisk said smiling, her words sugary sweet. “I’m just messing with you. We will both worry about marriage when you are ready and I won’t let anybody tell me otherwise!” For a moment, Sans looked at Frisk confused but as the words sunk in, his cheekbones blushed blue and he teleported himself away before he could get himself in trouble. Frisk started laughing for a good long minute while Asriel looked bemused. “So it is true then? It wasn’t just some delusion I had as Flowey?” The robot asked incredulously. “You’re dating the smiley trash bag?”

“He goes by Sans, not smiley trash bag and yes…I am dating him.” Frisk said, correcting Asriel.

“Then why was he so upset that his mom wanted to know about your relationship with him?”

“Verdana has only just come back into his life.” Frisk explained smugly. “Sans never had the privilege that comes with a close family…relatives will always want to know about your love life and they are always pestering you to get married. They love to see you squirm under pressure.”

Asriel cocked his head to one side. “But do you want to marry him? You’re acting like you do.”

“One day at a time Asriel.” Frisk said, smiling softly. “Who knows what tomorrow will bring?”


End file.
